This is yet another offshoot of the Bottom Feeder thread. This is the last strongly disputed category on that thread.
It is to pick the cheapest wine you’d be happy to drink from the major variety/blend from Europe’s top regions.
Etna Rosso. The next big thing after Burgundy and Barolo/Barbaresco? A great value wine from a very special and precariously situated terroir, literally on the slopes of a smoking volcano (Etna) in Eastern Sicily. A blend of Nerello Mascalese (majority) and Nerello Cappuccio (minority.) Often in an approximate 80/20 ratio in my experience. But which one is the best value under $20?
I’ll wait a while before putting up the poll. From the main thread we already have:
It’s really hard to beat the focused sense of place found in the Terre Nere wines year in and year out. I buy it without question, every year as a daily drinker. The spicey-fruit notes are so consistent. Gulfi has always represented more of a sleek sexy style, and for Etna wines, I want them to have that grippy volcanic profile.
Etna, to me, is all about fine tannin structure and focused dark fruit. Terre Nere expresses that most years.
I think the reason you aren’t getting the grippy volcanic profile is that bottle of Gulfi isn’t an Etna wine and that specific bottle is 100% Nero d’Avola. For me, they are the benchmark producer for Nero d’Avola in Sicily.
I’d throw in Benanti as one that is a bit of a go-to, but I do prefer Terre Nere.
One of the problems is that prices vary in each region of the USA. In my region Etna wines tend to be a bit more expensive. So there really is no good choice at $20. The Terre Nere is the best value at $22-24. I don’t believe Alcesti is on Etna.
Gary. Thanks for your post. I think it’s acceptable for this thread if a wine is available in some areas for $20 and a little more in others. If it was $30+ in your area that would be a little different.
I really like that Gulfi wine, but, as mentioned, it is not Etna. Terre Nere is good and widely available. For something a bit more interesting but very good, I like the Calabretta Cala Cala, which is an NV wine comprised mostly of a more recent vintage with the addition of I believe 2 older vintages as well. It’s a different take on Nerello Mascalese for sure, with a tiny bit of Nerelo Cappuccio included. It find it has more in common with the wines of Gulfi, COS, and Occhinti than with Terre Nere, despite the fact it’s an Etna wine.
Agreed, I think a bit of room on the prices is fine. The Calabretta wines are good, but can be inconsistent. I was unable to visit because I was short on time. And I could not explore that issue further. I have only visited Etna once. They do push VA and when you dance on the line, you will step over occasionally.
This is actually why I got WineLibrary free shipping for $100. Their prices are better than any I’ve found in Denver by 10-40%. Great deal if they go to your region, but case orders in COVID have been taking around a month. Availability can be spotty and fleeting (some things come and go real fast), but I think I’ve bought a total of 10 cases for myself and coworkers in 6 months. Helps if you have someone to buy with.
There doesn’t seem to be many options at around $20 from Etna. Terre Nere and Cala Cala are the 2 wines that have more than one fan on this thread… I’ll put up a poll for all the suggested wines soon if there’s no more chat.
I think $25 is a good starting pointing on Etna and is the price to get in the door. You can find some good wines if you know where to look. Several reasons for this and it is pretty understandable. Kind of like rooting around in the low end of Burgundy, you are not going to find much to recommend the region. There is gold in the mid-tier wines. Although not the focus of your post
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