La Ripresa

“I have the Burgundy ambition. I am proud of my terroir and happy to take on this big responsibility. My mission is to grow the best grapes and do justice to this incredible land.”

In 2021, Sébastien Burel founded La Ripresa on the northwest slopes of Etna, Sicily, where he cultivates Nerello Mascalese, Grenache, Pinot Noir, Grecanico, Caricante, and Minella across 6.5 hectares of vineyards. His parcels lie in the contrade of Tartaraci and Sorge—each with unique soil compositions that shape the character of his wines. Tartaraci (950m elevation) consists of volcanic sand and black earth, while Sorge, despite being lower, is actually colder due to the cooling western breeze. These conditions lend lightness, freshness, and acidity to his wines.

After years in the French wine scene between Chablis and Paris, Sébastien set out to make wine by the sea, leading him to Sicily. Without speaking a word of Italian, he immersed himself in the local community and found a home on Etna’s northwest slopes, where abandoned natural terraces offered the potential for revitalized viticulture.

A Winemaker’s Approach

Sébastien’s Burgundian mindset is evident in his approach. From the start, he has focused on rehabilitating the land, transitioning from past chemical treatments to organic farming, a demanding process for a single person. He is currently working toward full organic certification and managing vineyard restoration by hand, removing stones and improving the yield in Tartaraci.

While the physical labor is challenging, Sébastien believes the business side is even harder. “At this stage, you can’t afford mistakes, you need to make the right decisions at the right time.” Every step at La Ripresa is intentional. “Every choice you make at the beginning needs to be quality because you’ll carry that decision for the next 15 years.”

For vinification, Sébastien follows his intuition, adjusting his approach based on the grapes. “You need to go into vinification with an open mind. Take the grape and see what happens.” It wasn’t until harvest, when he tasted the crisp, crunchy Sorge grapes, that he determined the direction of the wine.

Another defining element of La Ripresa is extended aging before bottling. Sébastien believes in late bottling, giving the wine 18 months to evolve in bottle. “You need to give time to the wine to adjust.” This philosophy reflects his deep respect for the terroir and his commitment to producing wines with balance, elegance, and longevity.

With his first vintages already showing remarkable finesse, Sébastien is laying the foundation for La Ripresa’s future.