If I had to list my three favorite wine categories I wouldn’t hesitate to list Bordeaux, Barolo, and Pinot Noir. I like many other wines but these stand out for my palate. Last night, I had a Nerello Mascalese for the second time (the first was a week ago)…these were different producers and vintages. I am totally infatuated at the moment with this obscure varietal that grows on the slopes of Mount Etna in Sicily. For me, this wine is like a marriage between good Barolo and a good Pinot Noir…very light in color with floral notes, red fruits, balanced acidity, and silky subdued tannins. These wines were only about $30 or so…they are seriously underpriced IMO which is good for me. I realize that there are some Nerello Mascalese wines which sell for over $100. With this post, I am hoping that some of you with some knowledge and experience with this little grape will weigh in with some words of wisdom, recommendations for some of these that are still on the shelves, etc…
Yes, they can be good, but many times you don’t know what you are getting: soupy and stewed, tight and austere, rounded and oaked. When they are on, they are ON, but then there are the disappointments, like any grape, really.
Agree with what Marcus said above.
That being said, check out Girolamo Russo, Passopisciaro, and Salvo Foti - I Vigneri.
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Try Arcuria of either color from graci.
Terre Nere is a good producer. I had their basic Etna Rosso '16 and top end Prephylloxera La Vigna di Don Peppino '15, both are topnotch at respective price points. Yes, Nerello Mascalese from Etna, Sicily is a fusion between red Burgundy and Barolo at very affordable price.
Had this 4 days ago. No complaints.
Agree with Markus and Dennis. But I’d add to the list Foti’s I Custodi project, Romeo del Castelli, Masseria del Pino and Monterosso
Passopisciaro is wonderful
John Morris turned me onto this grape maybe 2 years ago with a thread here- search for that.
+1 on Terre Nere. 2010 Calabretta Nerello Mascalese Sicilia Vigne Vecchie can be had for <$30.
Be mindful many producers blend this grape. I don’t mind a little Nerello Cappuccio in the mix, but I’m not convinced any other grape bring something positive to the party.
following and thanks for the heads up !
agree with others. nerello can be one of my very favorite grapes when its well done. just as you mentioned it is like a cross between my two other favorites: pinot and nebbiolo. I love the reccs so far: I Vigneri, Passopiascaro, Terre Nere, Planeta, Cornellisen can be really top notch. theyre also still typically priced really well. The Etna Rosso from Terre Nere is like $25 which is a steal, and old I Custodi (also Salvo Foti) can be in the like $30-40 range for decade old wines
Yes agree since our trip to Mt Etna we’ve been enjoying a number of these. The Terre Nere San Lorenzo, regular bottling, and the pre-phlox; the Giralamo Russo; Passopisciaro, and To a lesser extent the Planeta have been enjoyable and a good sub with PN is called for.
I’m a fan of several mentioned here, and particularly fond of Calabretta. I also really like Cornelissen.
Curious about all of those voicing caution though. Who is making soupy, stewed or overoaked wine on Etna? I guess it’s possible, but is this region particularly risky? I have never bought an Etna wine blindly, always based on recommendations, so it may well be that there are many bad producers of whom I simply am not aware. I can’t imagine it’s worse than (almost) any other region though.
I may be in the minority here, but found the very few Girolamo Russo I had to be oaky and just too extracted with high alc for my taste.
Oh boy, just wait until you try some Etna Bianco! Just as exciting as the reds IMO. Agree with the others saying that Benanti and Terre Nerre are worth purchasing. I Vigneri Vinupetra is also delicious. I’ve only had Giorlamo Rosso’s white, but it’s delicious as are Benanti’s. Have fun exploring!
Agreed, love Passopisciaro across all their Contrada’s
I love wines from both the Nerello Macalese and the Carricante grapes. Does anyone have any experience drinking aged versions? While I personally have a bit of age, I haven’t tried any Etna wines with a bit of age.
Cheers,
Warren
The following producers have been quite consistently great performers in my books:
-Benanti
-Graci
-Passopisciaro
-Pietradolce
-Romeo del Castello
-Terra Costantino
-Terre Nere
I’ve always loved Cornelissen’s style, but their older vintages have been very variable in quality and I can imagine they really weren’t everybody’s cup of tea. The more recent vintages have been much more consistent.
Can’t remember particularly memorable wines from Planeta; I was quite surprised how many people commented so positively on the producer. To me they have been more anonymous wines, occasionally lacking in balance due to too modest acidity or excessive alcohol. Are there any specific wines I should look for that could perform at least at the same level as the producers I’ve listed?
i think it is becoming much less risky than it used to be, and i think it is still much more of a risk when buying Sicilian wines as a whole as compared to Etna, and is more because of Nero d’Avola than anything else I have found.