Rapitalà
Rapitalà is the story of a love story that began in 1968, the year when former French Navy officer Hugues Bernard de Gatinais married Gigi Guarrasi, a descendant of one of the most important families from Palermo. Together, the two decided to embark on an adventure that would lead them to rebuild a winery destroyed by the earthquake in the Belice Valley and to unite French and Mediterranean winemaking traditions. Thus, Rapitalà became one of the most important oenological voices on the island, thanks to an innovative vocation that, from the very first harvests, led to experimenting with the combination of typically Sicilian grape varieties with French ones.
The Tenuta Rapitalà takes its name from the Arabic Rabidh-Allah "river of Allah", indicating the stream that winds its way through the vineyards, testifying to how these lands have been cultivated for centuries. Today, the vineyard area counts 163 of the 225 total hectares of the property, and the hilly soils of clay and sand host both the indigenous vineyards of Nero d’Avola, Grillo, and Cataratto, and the French ones of Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Chardonnay. The French winemaking influence continues in the winery, where over 600 oak barriques from across the Alps and 13 oak casks preserve the fruits of the estate harvest after harvest.
The production of Rapitalà has become over time a reference point not only for variety but for the quality that each bottle expresses, capable of translating from the French language the aromas, flavors, and colors of the Mediterranean: the lands of the estate indeed express all the strength of the wind and the sun that have shaped them over time and give each bunch the unique characteristics of the region. The dream of Hugues and Gigi continues today thanks to their son Laurent, who, together with winemaker Silvio Centonze, continues the experimentation in the vineyard and in the winery. It is precisely this innovation that has given rise to a continuous and passionate blending of oenological traditions, able to enhance both the Sicilian and French heritage, without compromising or sacrificing their identity.
Rapitalà is the story of a love story that began in 1968, the year when former French Navy officer Hugues Bernard de Gatinais married Gigi Guarrasi, a descendant of one of the most important families from Palermo. Together, the two decided to embark on an adventure that would lead them to rebuild a winery destroyed by the earthquake in the Belice Valley and to unite French and Mediterranean winemaking traditions. Thus, Rapitalà became one of the most important oenological voices on the island, thanks to an innovative vocation that, from the very first harvests, led to experimenting with the combination of typically Sicilian grape varieties with French ones.
The Tenuta Rapitalà takes its name from the Arabic Rabidh-Allah "river of Allah", indicating the stream that winds its way through the vineyards, testifying to how these lands have been cultivated for centuries. Today, the vineyard area counts 163 of the 225 total hectares of the property, and the hilly soils of clay and sand host both the indigenous vineyards of Nero d’Avola, Grillo, and Cataratto, and the French ones of Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Chardonnay. The French winemaking influence continues in the winery, where over 600 oak barriques from across the Alps and 13 oak casks preserve the fruits of the estate harvest after harvest.
The production of Rapitalà has become over time a reference point not only for variety but for the quality that each bottle expresses, capable of translating from the French language the aromas, flavors, and colors of the Mediterranean: the lands of the estate indeed express all the strength of the wind and the sun that have shaped them over time and give each bunch the unique characteristics of the region. The dream of Hugues and Gigi continues today thanks to their son Laurent, who, together with winemaker Silvio Centonze, continues the experimentation in the vineyard and in the winery. It is precisely this innovation that has given rise to a continuous and passionate blending of oenological traditions, able to enhance both the Sicilian and French heritage, without compromising or sacrificing their identity.
