TN: 2016 Tenuta Delle Terre Nere Etna Rosso

[DanielP]

Still 16 at empire wine, load up

To be clear, do you mean the base bottling? (though the wine may have already sold out and I just don’t see it) The WS wine is the San Lorenzo single vineyard, not the base bottling

[MChang]

Yes the base bottling. Rising tide raises all boats.

[Tom_Taylor]

Didn’t really enjoy this when I had it. If I recall I thought it was showing some oak that I didn’t particularly enjoy. It lacked a refreshing quality.

I didn’t get much oak on this and I’m very oak-averse. Also, “refreshing” is not a quality I think many people look for in reds, so this comment is a bit confusing.

I haven’t had the '16 base bottling, and don’t recall that bottling showing oak in the way the single vineyards do. I checked because I wondered if they really spent money on fancy barrels for a $20 wine. Sure enough, it’s aged in 25% new oak, though the importer’s site doesn’t say what size barrel.

Hi John, I believe that line about 18 months in oak, 25% new is only for the Crus. If you go on the DiGrazia website it says 10-11 months in 10-30 HL used French Oak. This makes more sense since the 2017 is already out and obviously couldn’t have spent 18 months in oak. BTW the 2016 is delicious, best I’ve had to date for me

[Jim_Stevens]

I’ve had some of this for years and always has been a staple in my house. Had a bottle last week with pasta.

[PaulMills]

I had this by the glass at a restaurant this summer and bought a six pack the next week. I think it needs some time in the bottle or plenty of time to open. The one I opened at home was disappointing at first but on the third day it was great.

I hate that it is #10 on WS’s list.

[John_Morris]

I haven’t had the '16 base bottling, and don’t recall that bottling showing oak in the way the single vineyards do. I checked because I wondered if they really spent money on fancy barrels for a $20 wine. Sure enough, it’s aged in 25% new oak, though the importer’s site doesn’t say what size barrel.

Hi John, I believe that line about 18 months in oak, 25% new is only for the Crus. If you go on the DiGrazia website it says 10-11 months in 10-30 HL used French Oak. This makes more sense since the 2017 is already out and obviously couldn’t have spent 18 months in oak. BTW the 2016 is delicious, best I’ve had to date for me

Interesting. That certainly makes more sense from an economic sense, and your point about the '17 is compelling! (Here’s the De Grazia/Terre Nere page in case anyone else wants to see it.)

[James_Billy]

Largest stash of Etna wine on Cellar tracker. Is this popularity a fair reflection of its quality and/or value? Which would be the Prum, Baudry, PdB, etc., equivalent in Etna?

The winery is owned by Marc de Grazia, who is best known as the middleman between a lot of modernist Barolo makers and their US importers/distributors. So he has very good connections in the US distribution system. I think that mostly explains why they are so widely held here in the US. But they are also good!

De Grazia was a big advocate of barriques in Barolo in the late 80s and 90s, and the Terre Nere wines see some, but I find that the oak on these is usually done with a deft touch.

Thanks John!

[Mark_Cochard]

Uh-oh,Terre Nere WS #10 wine of the year. Availability will suffer.

WS#9 is actually the San Lorenzo at $60.

[MChang]

I recently got a bunch of the ‘15 base, nice winr