Tenuta delle Terre Nere - Etna Rosso 2023

The Terre Nere estate has roughly 43 hectares of vineyards, along with 150 olive trees. Roughly 4.5 of these have been uprooted and will be replanted within two years after letting the soil “rest”. Two vineyards, for a total of roughly 11-12 hectares, make up the Calderara Cru, of which 1.5 hectares are pre-phylloxera; the rest are about 40-50 years old (and they have not been uprooted). Two different vineyards comprise the Guardiola Cru, for a total of 2.1 hectares, almost all of which is pre-phylloxera (except for some replanted vines). The Guardiola vineyards are the highest-altitude red-grape vineyards in Europe! The “Feudo di Mezzo” Cru is made up of two other vineyards, for a total of 1.35 hectares.

500,000 years of volcanic eruptions have created endless soil variation in neighboring plots of land, many of them radical. The soil at Terre Nere is mostly volcanic ash speckled by black pumice and peppered with abundant volcanic rock; to call it ‘rocky’ is putting it mildly! The weather variations in the area are profound and generally characterized by exposure, altitude, and ‘airiness,’ defined here as the character of a well-exposed vineyard not protected by hills, and therefore open to the cooling and drying effects of the wind. This is particularly important at Terre Nere because the harvest usually takes place in the last weeks of October, meaning that the grapes are in their most fragile state when the weather ‘breaks’ its autumn pattern, making them susceptible to oidium and mildew. The ‘airiness’ of the climate, however, helps to dry out the grapes after rain and moisture threaten mold.

“The brightness, lovely density and focus come through clearly here with an almost pinot sensibility and a long finish. It’s polished with fine tannins and a brilliant texture. Mostly grapes from San Lorenzo and Calderara Sottana vineyards. Drink or hold.” - 95 Points, James Suckling

"The 2023 Etna Rosso seduces with a burst of ripe cherries, cloves and sweet rose aromas. This is an energetic and wickedly fresh effort with a cascade of wild berry fruit and crunchy mineral tones that flow beneath an air of violet inner florals. A coating of fine tannins frames the finish without slowing its momentum as this tapers off with amazing length and a saturation of raspberry. The 2023 aims to please.” - 92 Points, Vinous  

Producer: Tenuta delle Terre Nere

Country: Italy

Region: Sicily

Varietal: Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccio

Appellation: Etna Rosso

Vintage: 2023

Size: 750ml