The Catarratto Grape

(Synonyms: Catarratteddu, Catarratto Bertolaro, Catarratto Bianco Comune, Catarratto Bianco Lucido, Catarratto Bianco Lucido Serrato, Catarratto Corteddaro, Catarratto Latino, Catarrattu Lu Nostrum.)

Background

Catarratto (technically “Catarratto Blanco”) is a centuries-old white-wine grape originating in Sicily, which remains its present-day home. For a long time, Catarratto Bianco Comune and Catarratto Bianco Lucido were thought to be distinct varieties, but modern DNA analysis shows that they are simply variant clones, so that the single grape variety at issue is best called Catarratto Bianco, period.

The variety is grown all over Sicily, though concentrated in three provinces: Trapani, Palermo, and Agrigento. Traditionally, Catarratto wine was vinified as cheap bulk wine, usually made into sweet goop. With the coming of modern winemaking to Italy, some producers have turned to producing good-quality wine from the variety, with success. A well-made Catarratto has freshness and minerality, a good body, and citrus and herbal flavors. It may also exhibit slightly nut-like tastes. In some cases, the makers have applied some oak-barrel aging as well, which seems to work satisfactorily.

Although Catarratto is a component of Etna Bianco blends, it is restricted by law to a maximum of 40%, so such wines are not a good way to explore Catarratto.

Factoid: Apparently Italians like confusion: outside the area where Carricante wines—an altogether different grape—are made, the name Carricante is applied to Catarratto. There will be a quiz in the morning.

Some Descriptions of Catarratto Wines

Wikipedia
“Catarratto is a white Italian wine grape planted primarily in Sicily where it is the most widely planted grape. Overproduction of Catarratto was a substantial contributor to the perceived European wine lake problem in the mid 2000s. Catarratto can make full bodied wines with lemon notes. In the Etna DOC, the grape is often blended with Minella bianca and Carricante.”
Wine Searcher
“The variety is commonly regarded (and widely used) as a lower-quality blending component, or an ingredient in Marsala wines, as well as grape concentrate. Catarratto is high-yielding and rather neutral-tasting, with low acidity—hardly the benchmarks of a top quality grape. That said, careful vinification from dedicated producers has shown the variety is capable of producing interesting wines with juicy texture and crisp lemon flavors…Catarratto was long thought to be two distinct grape varieties, Catarratto Bianco Comune and Catarratto Bianco Lucido. DNA testing in 2008 suggested that the two are genetically identical and, instead of being separate varieties, they are in fact different clones of the same grape variety.”
World’s Best Wines
“The wines made out of Catarratto taste a little tangy and entertain a flavor of lemon…Catarratto can be refined into a number of flavored wines that are admired by almost all the wine lovers. Thus, this white grape is majorly used in the production of a variety of light as well as easy-drinking white wines that can be sipped with a number of meals.”
Wine Dharma
“Catarratto is one of the main Sicilian white grape varieties, cultivated in every corner of the island, thanks to its vigor and high yields. This intensive cultivation has distorted what is an incredible grape that gives back wines of great elegance and drinkability, but unfortunately, we are submerged by a ridiculous overproduction. Thank goodness, many small producers have managed to make a good clone selection to produce small masterpieces: white wines of great depth, endowed with flavor and elegance…Catarratto is a very expressive grape variety, its aromas are intense, so much so that it is considered a semi-aromatic grape variety. The aromas that distinguish it are remarkable when the wine is well made: tropical fruit, peat and cereals, honey, almonds, and candied fruit, flowers and a light spicy note that cuts all the wine. Finding the right balance between polyphenolic maturation, contact with the skins and freshness is not easy and, as for Viognier, it is really difficult to find wines made with precision. In the mouth, it is fresh, velvety, with a sapid momentum and persistence. Don’t think about a light wine, quite the opposite: structure, ripe fruit strong like a storm and lots of yellow flesh to bite. The body is imposing, the finish smoked, with tones of malt and pine resin. Everything is taken to the extreme when it comes down to Catarratto wine, so much so that its density and tannins are renowned. Once a lot of Sicilian wineries were used to super-strong wines thick like marzipan. Today there is a tendency to produce more dynamic interpretations, thanks to which Catarratto is rising from its ashes to aspire to be (again) the great protagonist of Sicilian white wines.”
Italin Wine Central
“Two biotypes: Comune (higher sugar, lower acid) and Lucido. Medium to full bodied. Aromas & flavors: Sage, thyme, banana, pineapple, citrus; somewhat bitter finish.”
Etna Wine
“Characteristics of the wine grapes of Cataratto enter into the composition of many Sicilian white wines. The wine is straw yellow with golden color, mild flavor profile with fruity and floral notes, the taste is characterized by the important alcohol content and good texture, neutral flavor, mildly acidic and slightly soft.”

Some Catarrattos to Try

Another case of fine wines not widely available in the U.S. There are plenty of Catarratto wines available, but very few with anything like wide availability, and not many with critical notice taken. Here is what we could glean.

For a Splurge

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This page was last modified on Saturday, 30 October 2021, at 11:26 pm Pacific Time.

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