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TENUTA WHITAKER

SICILY

TENUTA WHITAKER

SICILY



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ABOUT THE WINERY

Tenuta Whitaker is the modern re-creation of a vineyard that might have existed some 2,500 years ago on the island of Mozia in Sicily. This 100-acre islet (also known as Motya, Mothia, or San Pantaleo) lies in the Marsala Lagoon, around half a mile from the mainland of Sicily. It was identified as a very defensible position for a trading outpost by Phoenicians about 800 BC and eventually became a thriving city and one of the main colonies of the Carthaginians. It eventually was attacked and defeated by the Greeks around 400 BC, after which it disappeared from memory for two millennia. 

Archaeologists began studying the ruins on the island in the 18th century, and eventually it was identified as the Phoenician city of Mozia. In 1902, the entire island was bought by Joseph Whitaker, an amateur archaeologist and heir to a fortune from his family’s role in developing Marsala wine as a British staple. The Whitaker Foundation still owns Mozia and is dedicated to researching and preserving the ruins there, both ancient and more modern. As part of this endeavor, the foundation decided to reconstruct the vineyard that had been on the island when Joseph Whitaker purchased Mozia. 

To carry out this project, in 2007 the Whitaker Foundation turned to Tasca d’Almerita, which since 1830 have been at the forefront of production and research in Sicily’s wine industry. Launching Tenuta Whitaker, the Tasca family and the foundation worked together to restore the vineyard along historical lines, with bush-trained vines that are farmed organically, without irrigation, and hand harvested. Using procedures of an earlier century, before modern interventionist agriculture was invented, made it both possible and logical to attain SOStain and VIVA certification for sustainability. 

Planting the vineyard was not a particular challenge, but there was nowhere to put a winery building, so vinification is done at Tasca d’Almerita’s Regaleali winery in central Sicily. Given the high temperatures that are typical in the lagoon, harvesting must be performed in the early morning. The bunches are carefully placed into trays and then transported in small boats across the lagoon to the shore, where they are taken in refrigerated trucks to the Regaleali facility for immediate processing. In the end, the Tenuta Whitaker “Mozia” Sicilia DOC Grillo is a reminder of long-ago winemaking brought up to date with clean, reliable modern equipment.

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WINERY LOCATION: Mozia Island (Trapani province), Sicily
REGION: Sicilia DOC
VINEYARD LAND: 31 acres (13 ha)
FARMING PRACTICES: Sustainable - SOStain Certified
GRAPE VARIETIES: Grillo
WINE STYLES: Dry white
TOTAL WINE PRODUCTION: 45,000 bottles (34,000 liters)
YEAR FOUNDED: 2007
OWNER(S): The Tasca Family
WINEMAKER(S): Laura Orsi

WINES

TENUTA WHITAKER “MOZIA” GRILLO SICILIA DOC

2,500 years ago the tiny island of Mozia, in the Marsala lagoon on the western side of Sicily, was an important outpost of the Phoenician Mediterranean trading network. By the 400 BCE, the Greeks had destroyed the settlement and it was forgotten until the 1800s, when the Whitaker family purchased the island. The Whitaker Foundation dedicated Mozia (aka San Pantaleo) to archeological research and partnered with Tasca d’Almerita to farm 30 acres of Grillo vineyards on the 100-acre island. The vineyards are organically cultivated in little bushes, using the traditional "Marsalese" pruning method, to shade the grapes from the strong sun and brackish winds. At the end of August the grapes are harvested at dawn and transported on flatbed boats to the mainland for vinification.  

LOCATION


WINERY:
Mozia Island (Trapani province), Sicily

VINEYARD:
Mozia Island, Sicily

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NEWS AND REVIEWS FROM OUR FRIENDS IN THE INDUSTRY



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92
JULY 2022
Tenuta Whitaker “Mozia” Grillo Sicilia DOC 2021

A tangy and bright grillo with lemon-rind, pear-skin and light apricot flavors. Some minerally undertones. Medium-bodied with a solid core of fruit and a flavorful finish. Sustainable. Drink now.

92
AUGUST 2022
Tenuta Whitaker “Mozia” Grillo Sicilia DOC 2021

A tangy and bright grillo with lemon-rind, pear-skin and light apricot flavors. Some minerally undertones. Medium-bodied with a solid core of fruit and a flavorful finish. Sustainable. Drink now.

92
DECEMBER 2019
Tenuta Whitaker “Mozia” Grillo Sicilia DOC 2018

Hailing from the island of Mozia, this compelling wine opens with enticing scents of white stone fruit, orange blossom, thyme, Mediterranean scrub and citrus. Reflecting the nose, the savory palate delivers Meyer lemon, wild herbs, white pepper and saline set against vibrant acidity. It closes clean, crisp and tangy.

91
AUGUST 2023
Tenuta Whitaker “Mozia” Grillo Sicilia DOC 2022

Grapefruit and thyme with a sweeter note of lemon curd and just a hint of pencil eraser on the nose open up onto a palate of mixed citrus and toasted almonds, with a rich mouthfeel balanced by the salty, acidic finish.

90
JUNE 2022
Tenuta Whitaker “Mozia” Grillo Sicilia DOC 2021

The 2021 Grillo Mozia is spicy yet refined, wafting up from the glass with dusty dried flowers, hints of peach skins and ground ginger. It’s round in feel with a core of green-citrus tinged acidity and saline-mineral tones that add a reverberation of cheek-puckering tension. Notes of tart Granny Smith apples and lime zest linger long, keeping the Grillo Mozia seated firmly in the green fruit profile, while leaving the palate thirsting for more. Very nice.

90
JUNE 2021
Tenuta Whitaker “Mozia” Grillo Sicilia DOC 2020

The 2020 Grillo Mozia lifts up to reveal honeyed florals and freshly sliced green melon. This is silky and pliant, ripe yet packed full of zesty acids and citrus tones that keep the experience fresh. An almondy richness lingers, creating lovely contrasts, as it tapers off with an air of exotic inner florals. Very nice.

92
NOVEMBER 2021
Tenuta Whitaker “Mozia” Grillo Sicilia DOC 2020

Winemaking on the tiny Phoenician island of Mozia is guided by the Tasca family and the Whitaker Foundation. Their 2020 Sicilia Grillo Mozia Fondazione Whitaker shows some additional fruit weight and concentration in this vintage, with lots of peach, honey and stone fruit. The vineyards are located on a tiny island with salt flats nearby, and the influence of both - the sea and the salt - play heavily on the wine's playlist.