So, I’ve loved the two vintages of Calabretta Etna Rosso that I’ve had (2002 and 2003), each many times. It’s a beautiful, terrior-driven wine, delicately red-fruited, with roses, spice and ample acids. Reminiscent in style to the nebbiolo wines of Piemonte and Alto Piemonte, though on the more delicate side of that spectrum.
I’ve also enjoyed a few scattered bottles of Passopisciaro, which are a bit more modernish but still quite interesting.
I’ve tried the entry-level Terre Nerre Etna Rosso a couple of times and thought it was fine, but it didn’t make a big impression on me.
So, what I’m looking for is some other wines that I can explore, with an emphasis on ones that are actually available in the US. Who has some suggestions and experiences to share with me?
Pietro Caciorgna 2010 Thalìa Etna Rosso 13%. Nerello Mascalese (ca 80%) and Nerello Capucchio, apparently (http:// Nerello Cappuccio – Nerello Mascalese | Red Wine Grape Blend | Wine-Searcher )
C: Beautiful clear red.
N: Cherries
P: A smooth, clear taste. Takes about 1 hr or so to open up. No perceptible tannins. Slightly acid. Notes of cherries and cranberries. Very interesting flavor, somewhere between a light Burg and a Beaujolais. Very good length and balance.
Salvo Foti. The one wine I have tried, the 2005 I Vigneri di Salvo Foti Etna Rosso, was a wine of astounding character and terroir. One of the most mineral-driven wines I have ever tasted.
You should move up the mid-point Terre Nere wines Santo Spirito, Guardiola etc. And also seek out the wines of Graci and Fessina. Many of the best have been listed and the volcano is only so big. And be aware that all the big firms are there now.
Timely thread - I picked up my first Terre Nere Etna Rosso on a recc for a good pizza/pasta wine from Paul Marcus Wines in Oakland a couple weeks ago, and have been looking to try some others.
Given how recent the “commercialization” of Etna is, I’m kinda’ wondering what “modernist” Etna Rosso even tastes like?
That said, every Passopisciaro I’ve tried (including their normale) blows the 2002 Calabretta off the table, so you can ignore my recommendations, Chris, as our palates clearly do not align.
For others who might have an interest, I will say that I just had a bottle of the 2009 Terre Nere Feudo di Mezzo that I was very impressed by. I think this is de Grazia’s venture, so I would say by definition a modernist take, but I liked it a lot.
I reccomend Ciro Biondi, architect turned winemaker, he has 3 wines Outis Bianco, Ouitis Rosso and M.I. His vineyards are in the south-east part of Etna, near Trecastagni. Terroir driven wines, mineral and elegant. They were already good, but they got even better when he was able to build his own cellar 3-4 years ago to vinify in-house.
Biondi has at least two new wines that I’m aware of: Cisterna Fuori (red) and Chianta (white) from vineyards not far from Monte Ilice (the source for the M.I.). Oliver knows more about this, though, so I’ll leave it to him.
I’m sure there might be something I’m unaware of, but I’ve been following the Terre Nere since the 2002 (possibly their first commercial release?), and, just by tasting them, I have not been able to detect anything particularly “modernist” about the wines (at least not “modernist” as in “spoof” or overly slick). As fas as quality, I have consistently found the wines to be fantastic.
Passopisciaro especially the Contrata. These are very good wines. Not ultra cheap but excellent!
I agree with Bob Hughes on these wines. I think they are excellent.
I like the Terre Nere wines also.
Tvrtko, I would agree; I just used the “modernist” tag only because Chris commented on it in his initial post. I would say that both Passopisciaro and Terre Nere are made by guys who have usually been linked/described as modernists, but in neither case do I find the wines “spoofy”, for lack of a better word.
We’ve gone through many bottles of Romeo del Castello’sAllegracore, first the 2009 and more recently the 2010. I love them, and it’s a stunning value at $22 or so. It’s everything I love in Etna Rosso – kind of a cross between nebbiolo and pinot with just a hint that it might be from a warm climate.
They use some new oak, which you can sometime pick up. But they are terrific wines, showing none of the spufification of some of his Barolo producers. Really elegant.
I’ve noticed the occasional whiff on the single vineyards, but only when they are very young. I think they absorb it really well in relatively little time. Every now and then I dip into my (now meagre) stash of 2002-2004 (Guardiola, Calderara, Feudo) and there isn’t even so much as a hint of oak on any of the wines. Perhaps the only slight knock might be that some of the wines (notably the 2004 Calderara) have aged a little faster than I’d expected them to. But then, I don’t really need all my wines to do a Chateau Latour either
Precisely. They seem to be able to offer a truly unusual degree of aromatic complexity quite early on. The only thing missing is the sense of heroic grandeur associated with having to wait for 70 years before opening. I think I can live with that.
