Planeta 2021 Burdese Cabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Franc Menfi Sicilia 750ml

Burdese takes its name directly from Sicilian dialect — "Burdisi" or "Burdese" means "from Bordeaux," a genuine nod to the classic international blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc at its heart, a combination Sicilians historically used the term to describe. Planeta's own journey began in the 1980s at Sambuca di Sicilia, on land the family has owned since the 1600s, when siblings Alessio, Francesca, and Santi Planeta, guided by their uncle Diego Planeta, set out to match Sicily's extraordinarily diverse soils with both indigenous and international grape varieties. The estate has since grown into six distinct properties spread across five regions of the island.

Burdese is sourced from two specific vineyards in the sun-soaked Agrigento plain of Menfi, roughly 150 meters above sea level: Tunno, planted on deep, clay-rich soil, and Maroccoli, sited behind Lake Arancio and rich in organic matter. Following harvest, the grapes are destemmed and crushed, then fermented in stainless steel tanks with 21 days of skin maceration, before aging a full 14 months in new barriques — genuinely serious, Bordeaux-style winemaking applied to Sicilian fruit. Planeta's own copy describes it as "a wine for long aging which offers olfactory and tasting complexity which has few counterparts in Sicily," produced in genuinely limited quantities from these selected vineyards.

Wine Spectator awarded a genuine 92 Points. Enoteca's own tasting describes the wine as "full-bodied," "built on a dense and important tannic structure, balanced by an increasingly controlled alcohol content," the nose showing "mint, goudron, cocoa, and grapevine and wood incense," the palate "dense, with blueberry and sour cherries in spirit mixed with tobacco, cocoa, rosemary, and seaweed, generally reminiscent of the Mediterranean scrub." Callmewine's tasting confirms an intensely "ruby red" color, "very intense, dense, fitting." This is genuinely serious, structured Sicilian red — a real, distinctive island take on the classic Bordeaux formula, built for genuine long-term aging.

Origins & Craftsmanship

Planeta 2021 Burdese Cabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Franc is produced by Planeta, a Sicilian winemaking family with roots at Sambuca di Sicilia dating to the 1600s, with the modern winery founded in the mid-1980s. The wine is a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Cabernet Franc, sourced from the Tunno vineyard (deep, clay-rich soil) and the Maroccoli vineyard (behind Lake Arancio, rich in organic matter), both in the sunny Agrigento plain of Menfi, at roughly 150 meters elevation.

Grapes are destemmed and crushed, fermented in stainless steel with 21 days of skin maceration, and aged 14 months in new barriques. Produced in limited quantities from these selected vineyards.

Critics Reviews

Wine Spectator — 92 Points

Enoteca (extended tasting note):
"A bold, strong and energetic wine, full-bodied and built on a dense and important tannic structure, balanced by an increasingly controlled alcohol content. The nose is typical of the two grape varieties, with mint, goudron, cocoa, and grapevine and wood incense. The flavours are dense, with blueberry and sour cherries in spirit mixed with tobacco, cocoa, rosemary, and seaweed, generally reminiscent of the Mediterranean scrub."

Callmewine (extended tasting note):
"Planeta 'Burdese' shows a very intense, dense, tight ruby red color."

Planeta (official product description):
"This is a red wine of great density, structure and balance, produced in limited quantities from selected vineyards. Burdese is a wine for long aging which offers olfactory and tasting complexity which has few counterparts in Sicily."

Tasting Profile

Nose
Intense ruby red. Mint and goudron lead, joined by cocoa and grapevine, alongside wood incense.

Palate
Full-bodied and dense, with blueberry and sour cherry in spirit carrying real intensity, developing tobacco, cocoa, and rosemary, framed by a dense, important tannic structure.

Finish
Long, closing with Mediterranean scrub character — genuinely bold, strong, and energetic.

Quick Overview

Food Pairings

• Stews and braised game meats
• Grilled or roasted red meat
• Aged, hard cheeses
• Rich, savory sauces