Donnafugata Ben Rye 2023 (375ml)

“Exotic yet remarkably fresh, the 2023 Ben Ryé bursts from the glass with a seductive blend of white raisins, minty herbs, poached peaches and tropical citrus. It is weighty, rich and harmonious throughout, coming across as sweet but not cloyingly so. Ultra-ripe pit fruit combines with candied lemon and a crisp mineral tinge that adds form toward the close. Dramatically long, the 2023 leaves a resonance of sour melon and an air of confectionary spice while cleaning up well, leaving the palate completely refreshed. Drinking window: 2025-2035. 94+ points

This year’s visit to Donnafugata included a six-vintage vertical of their flagship Mille e Una Notte, ranging from 2006 up to the newly released 2021. I’ve been singing this wine’s praises for many years, and now I wish I’d followed my advice and added more to my cellar along the way. The Mille e Una Notte is a blend of Nero d’Avola, Syrah and a mix of interplanted indigenous varieties aged for 14 months in new French oak barriques. When this wine sheds its new oak, what remains is something that I can best compare to old-school Bordeaux. With that said, it’s the Ben Ryé, a Passito di Pantelleria dessert wine, that I most closely associate with this estate. Ben Ryé is one of the best sweet wines in Italy, but also among the best in the world. Readers should also pay attention to Donnafugata’s Dolce & Gabbana bottlings. While I typically wouldn’t associate a partnership with a major international designer to be the best source for serious wine, this selection proves otherwise. Best of all, Donnafugata continues to excel with a wide range of value-oriented wines produced in volumes that make them very easy to source. This is a family-run estate with a focus not only on their own success, but the success of Sicilian wine as a whole. ”

Eric Guido, Vinous (07/25)