Tenuta delle Terre Nere - Etna Rosso 2022

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.

Above all else, the extraordinary elevation yields dramatic temperature variations between night and day, making the wines of Etna fine and elegant, devoid of the heat and overripe flavors that usually define southern wines.

Ruby red. A bouquet of ripe fruits and sweet spices. The palate is fresh, fine balanced and rich, very elegant. Pairs well with pasta dishes, meat dishes and fresh cheeses.

"Incredibly spicy, the 2022 Etna Rosso bursts from the glass with a wild bouquet of cloves and incense, giving way to dried cherries and sage. This is silky-smooth, with cooling acidity lifting its dense core of ripe red berry fruits as crunchy mineral tones resonate throughout. The 2022 finishes impossibly long and staining yet only gently tannic, leaving a lovely air of lavender and cloves that echoes on. Terre Nere continues to raise the bar with their Etna Rosso; it now has its own barrel-aging facility, which has allowed them to keep the wine in barrel between 14 to 16 months." - 92 Points, Vinous

Producer: Tenuta delle Terre Nere

Country: Italy

Region: Sicily

Varietal: Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccio

Appellation: Etna Rosso

Vintage: 2022

Size: 750ml