L'Ecru Passito
⏳ Drinking Window
2024 - 2030
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Blue cheese, traditional Sicilian cannoli, apricot fruit tarts
✨ Technical Specifications
L'Ecrù is a singular expression of Sicilian sweet winemaking, crafted by Firriato at their Borgo Guarini estate in the wind-swept countryside of Trapani. This passito is defined by a highly specialized and ancient 'infusion' technique. Rather than simply fermenting dried grapes, Firriato's winemakers harvest the Zibibbo (Moscato d'Alessandria) grapes in two phases. The first portion is left to dry naturally under the intense Mediterranean sun on traditional mats (graticci) for several weeks, concentrating the sugars and aromatic compounds. These sun-dried raisins are then carefully destemmed by hand and added to infuse directly into the fermenting must of freshly harvested Zibibbo grapes. This slow, natural release of sweetness and complex aromas creates a wine of extraordinary depth, balancing rich honeyed notes, candied citrus, and dried figs with a vibrant, refreshing acidity that reflects the coastal terroir of western Sicily.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 1984 by Salvatore Di Gaetano and Vinzia Novara, Firriato has grown to become an architectural pillar of contemporary Sicilian viticulture. The estate stewards hundreds of hectares across Sicily's most ecologically distinct macro-zones: the sun-drenched, clay-limestone hills of the Trapani countryside (such as Baglio Sorìa and Borgo Guarini), the maritime Quaternary calcarenites of Favignana Island, and the high-elevation volcanic sands of Cavanera Etnea on Mount Etna. Viticulture is entirely certified organic and managed under a pioneering zero-carbon-impact philosophy. In the cellar, temperature-controlled stainless steel vinification preserves high-toned aromatic freshness, tension, and native varietal typicity before selective maturation in stainless steel or neutral wood. Firriato's white wine portfolio champions indigenous and naturalized cultivars—predominantly Grillo, Catarratto, and Zibibbo—yielding benchmark expressions like the saline, maritime-influenced Favinia La Muciara, the organic Caeles series, the floral Jasmin, and the radiant, naturally sun-dried Favinia Passule.
🍇 Grapes
Zibibbo
🍷 ABV
13.5-14%