Generazione Mille898 Merlot
⏳ Drinking Window
2021 - 2025
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted pork loin, classic beef lasagna, medium-aged cheeses
✨ Technical Specifications
The Generazione Mille898 line by Cantine Nicosia pays tribute to the historic founding year of 1898, when Francesco Nicosia first established the family's winemaking legacy in Sicily. While the estate is deeply rooted in the volcanic slopes of Mount Etna, this collection explores how classic international varieties adapt to the broader, sun-drenched terroirs of Sicily. Grown in vineyards that benefit from intense Mediterranean sunshine and cooling sea breezes, this Merlot develops a distinctly Sicilian character. The resulting wine is a harmonious blend of international elegance and southern Italian warmth, characterized by soft, velvety tannins, rich dark fruit notes, and a subtle hint of Mediterranean scrub.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 1898 by Francesco Nicosia on the eastern slopes of Mount Etna, Cantine Nicosia has evolved across five generations into an ambassador of Sicilian viticulture. Today steered by Carmelo Nicosia alongside his sons Francesco and Graziano, the estate combines modern winemaking precision with deep regional tradition under the guidance of head enologist Maria Carella. Vineyards span key microclimates across the island, notably the terraced volcanic sands and decomposed lava fields of Monte Gorna near Trecastagni at roughly 700 meters elevation, as well as limestone-rich calcareous soils in Vittoria. Working through certified organic farming and vegan-certified protocols, Nicosia focuses heavily on indigenous Sicilian varieties. Their benchmark white expressions—spanning Generazione Mille898 mono-varietals like Grillo, Insolia, and Catarratto, through to volcanic Etna Bianco and aromatic Balanubi bottlings—are distinguished by mineral tension, saline clarity, and authentic varietal character.
🍇 Grapes
Merlot