A place full of emotion, history, beauty and identity
Zisola is a family estate belonging to the Mazzei family, well known for their famous Tuscan estate Castello di Fonterutoli in Chianti Classico. This ”Azienda Agricola” is located in the South East of Sicily, in the Noto appellation which, in addition to its beautiful terroirs, is also a Unesco World Heritage Site. This magnificent place, which is easy to fall in love with, covers about 50 hectares, 21 of which are planted with vines. The rest is dedicated to gardens, citrus trees, almond and olive trees. The main goal is to respect the Sicilian tradition of mixed farming and maintain a balance in biodiversity.
Acquired in 2003 after having fallen in love with the place, the Mazzei family invested a lot in restructuring of the cellar, the buildings but also in the vineyards… always managed organically! 2006 was the first vintage released on the market.
Today Zisola produces a wide range of wines including 4 reds (Nero d’Avola, Syrah, Petit Verdot) and one white (Grillo). Let’s meet Filippo Mazzei.
VertdeVin: Where does the name of the winery come from?
Filippo Mazzei: Zisola is the historical name of the estate, probably due to the fact that it is located in the “Contrada” Zisola
Why do you make wine? (I mean why did you make the choice to work in this industry) F.M.: Wine is my family business since 1435, let’s say that I was someway predestined for working in wine industry, Together with my brother I was the author of a great step forward for the company, giving life to a brand that is now a reference in the wine world. For me making wine is something in between a mission and a passion. The passion for the world of wine and a desire for new challenges moved me to broaden our company horizons towards the Zisola estate.
Why did you make the choice to buy this estate?
F.M.: We were looking for an estate where to start a new winemaking project. We needed to be free from the restrictions that automatically derive from the tradition of an estate like Castello di Fonterutoli that has been handed down from far away. It has not been easy to find in Sicily what we were seeking in order to realize our project . Then in 2003 Zisola was “discovered” in the southernmost part of eastern Sicily just few miles from Avola, and acquired.
More than a mere acquisition of property, Zisola is a territorial project that places the productive activities in the context of a specific area with a strong identity, a project aimed at bringing out the entire potential of the historical grape variety.
Please can you talk about your terroir?
F.M.: Zisola has predominantly a calcareous and calcarenite soil, with a presence of stone and skeleton that varies from medium to high depending on the areas. Physical composition of the soil consisting mainly of sands with a good presence of clay which can reach more than 10%, associated with a moderate presence of organic substances. High content of active limestone, make the soil white to the eye.
What is your signature? I mean what allow to recognize your wines in blind tasting?
F.M.: At Zisola we have worked mainly to get an original, new interpretation of the historic variety: Nero d’Avola, It has been possible thanks to different factors combination here. First of all vines have been planted according to the traditional ‘ad alberello’ (bush-trained) method, that ensures balance and protection for the grape bunches allowing to keep the acidity of the fruit. Moreover, sea breezes from the coast nearby help keeping out the worst of summer heat. All this, together with the very particular calcareous soil conditions, guarantees that our grapes mature perfectly and that our wines have a unique minerality, freshness, and especially elegance.
Please can you talk about your terroir?
F.M.: Yes a lot! As a matter of fact it’s a real preview!! We have worked to his project during the last 3 years: a CRU of Catarratto that will be released at the beginning of 2023. This project is in line with the Zisola mission to enhance native grapes, attention to craftsmanship, limited production.
Speaking about the estate in general we have nearly finalized a very important project: Zisola conversion 100% in a organic estate. Since the very beginning we have built a respectful relationship with this land and accordingly, other farming products of the estate (oranges, mandarins, lemons and almonds) are organic since many years.
Grapes have always been grown organically without any use of pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, and chemical fertilizers. Fertilization of the soils is managed through green manures, by mechanically turning the wild herbs and the reuse of biological waste to compost. The official certification of Zisola organic Estate & Wines will arrive at the beginning of 2023.
Thanks to Filippo Mazzei for sharing his time – J.C.C.
Zisola
Contrada Zisola
96017 Noto (Sicily – Italy) www.mazzei.it