Gorghi Tondi Maremeo Sauvignon Blanc 2025 and Dumè Frappato 2025 (Sicily) - Wine Reviews

Tonight's wine reviews are a pair of lovely, organic wines from Sicily. Both made their first appearance at the LCBO this month, with the Frappato arriving as part of the feature on chilled red wines in the June 6 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection, while the Sauvignon Blanc landed over the weekend in the June 20 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection.

Both of these wines are produced by Tenuta Gorghi Tondi, a family-owned estate winery whose story begins with Dora Sala, the matriarch of the family and great-grandmother of sisters Annamaria and Clara Sala, who had a great love for nature, grapes, and the land. Dora was a strong, far-sighted, and innovative woman who was an inspiration to all the women in the family.

Situated in the extreme western part of the island of Sicily, Tenuta Gorghi Tondi was formally founded in 2000 by Michele, who had worked in the business for over forty years, and his wife, Doretta, who is the granddaughter of Dora. A few years later, their daughters, Annamaria and Clara, returned home from their careers and were surrounded by the family vineyards and wines, while facing a new challenge to build a future and bringing back the old dream of crafting premium wines in Sicily.

Today, Tenuta Gorghi Tondi is led by the two sisters, Annamaria and Clara, who carry on with the same determination and love for the land. The Sala family has always had a strong bond with their territory, especially the High, Medium, and Low "whirlpools" (the so-called "Gorghi") that are at the heart of an oasis, which is also the inspiration for the name of the winery - Gorghi Tondi, or Round Whirlpools. They have two properties within the Mazara del Vallo countryside, named Ramisella and San Nicola, and cover over 130 hectares of vines which overlook the horizon and are cradled by the sea breeze in Western Sicily. The winemaking philosophy at Gorghi Tondi is to produce high-quality organic and sustainable wines, in harmony with a unique and naturally gifted terroir.

As organic viticulture and sustainability are core values at Tenuta Gorghi Tondi, all the grapes are grown organically and certified since 2016, without the use of any synthetic chemicals. Emergency irrigation is practiced only if absolutely necessary to maintain the authentic aromas and flavours of the grapes. On the sustainability front, Gorghi Tondi uses clean energy to allow for sustainable development and to protect the ecosystem. In 2025, Gorghi Tondi achieved their VIVA and SOStain Sicilia certifications, which verifies their commitment to environmental performance, biodiversity protection, responsible water use, carbon footprint management, and sustainable vineyard practices.

First crafted in the 2021 vintage, the Maremeo is the Sicilian expression of Sauvignon Blanc. The grapes were grown at approximately 25 metres above sea level in southwestern Sicily, in the countryside area of Mazara del Vallo, province of Trapani, in Contrada San Nicola. It comes from younger vines planted in calcareous and sandy soil that daily breathes the coastal breezes. This wine is from Gorghi Tondi's "Wines of Good Cheer" line, which aims to capture the essence of summer and the vital joy of the Mediterranean Sea's foam.

The Frappato comes from the same Contrada as the Sauvignon Blanc and was first produced in the 2017 vintage. The Dumè represents a fascinating original in the winemaking history of Tenuta Gorghi Tondi as they decided to test themselves for the first time with the indigenous Frappato, one of eastern Sicily's oldest and famous grape varieties. In the Sicilian dialect, the name Dumè literally means "ours or in our way", and Dumè was created with the desire to interpret this historic grape through the unique lens of the Mazara del Vallo terroir. The label for this wine is a lively tribute to the island's art and culture, and is inspired by the iconic geometries and colours of Sicilian ceramics.

In 2025, the growing season in Sicily featured balanced climatic conditions, resulting in fresh, balanced wines of good quality, with coastal areas and those at higher altitudes particularly standing out. Let's see how this 2025 Sauvignon Blanc and 2025 Frappato from Sicily are tasting tonight...

Tasting Notes:

GORGHI TONDI MAREMEO SAUVIGNON BLANC 2025 - DOC Sicilia, Italy (#49062) (XD) - $19.95
The fresh, medium-high intensity nose offers a fine and intriguing mix of ripe lemon citrus and sea spray aromas nuanced with passion fruit, tropical fruit, peach, saline mineral, and grapefruit. On the dry, medium+ to medium-full bodied palate it is well-structured and lightly honeyed with spiced flavours ripe lemon, citrus, saline mineral, tropical fruit, and peach. It has juicy, well-balanced acidity, alongside a mineral textured mouthfeel on the mid-palate. Juicy, saline mineral and lemon notes taper to savoury on the long, textured finish. Recommended buy! Score: 89 pts

GORGHI TONDI DUMÈ FRAPPATO 2025 - DOC Sicilia, Italy (#50571) (XD) - $22.95
100% Frappato. The medium+ to medium-high intensity nose is ripe and fruity with red berried aromas of black raspberry, cran-cherry, and strawberry joined by whiffs of smoky mineral and savoury earth. It's light-to-mid weighted on the dry palate with lovely spicy notes alongside black raspberry, strawberry, cran-cherry, and red plum flavours surrounding a core of savoury, stony minerals. It has fresh and vibrant acidity, along with slightly grippy textured tannins. The grippy mid-palate leads to raspberry and cherry notes that taper to savoury, stony mineral flavours on the long finish. Chill well for best enjoyment and a highly recommended buy! Score: 90 pts

Other fine & exciting wines by Gorghi Tondi can be ordered through their Agent - Rare Earth Wines.