It is a vine very close to the family of Nigrelli isolated by Domenico Sestini, traditionally cultivated in the province of Messina since ancient times. It seems that the ancestor of the Mamertinum wine, deeply loved by the Romans and especially by Julius Caesar, and that is also linked to the wines of Zancle (ancient name of Messina), appreciated even by Latin authors. On the hills around Messina there are still some very old plants survived to the phylloxera period, but there are specimens also in the territories of Catania, Siracusa and Ragusa. The plant has medium, from cuneiform to pentagonal leaves; medium, cylindrical-conical bunches, medium-sized grapes with thick skin and bluish-black color.
