Etna Wines

On 17 March 1981, a lava flow swept down the northern flank of Mount Etna. It buried what generations of farmers had built up. The Contrada Bocca d'Orzo – always celebrated as one of the most significant vineyards on the entire volcano, alongside the neighbouring San Lorenzo – vanished beneath the lava. And because no one had bottled Bocca d'Orzo separately before 1981, its history vanished with it. There are no bottles, no notes, no reference material. Only memories – and the eyes of old farmers, which light up when you ask them. What the wines there must have been like can be gleaned from a single fact: When the lava cooled, half a dozen winegrowers, whose plots had been buried, covered the solidified lava flow with tonnes of earth and replanted – in the hope of regaining the lost greatness. That is not a rational act. That is faith.

The wine bears the name of its creator – and with good reason. Andrea Franchetti, the pioneer of modern Etna viticulture who sadly died far too early in 2021, dared to do the unthinkable in the early 2000s: he planted international grape varieties at extreme altitudes on a remote lava slope in Passopisciaro with the aim of producing a wine that would not adapt but set new standards. Franchetti is made from Petit Verdot and Cesanese d'Affile in one of the highest and most radiant areas of the volcano. The lava rock, the light, the altitude – everything here seems more concentrated, more intense, magical, almost supernatural.

When Andrea Franchetti stood on the abandoned terraces of Mount Etna in 2000, he wasn't just dreaming of the renaissance of Nerello Mascalese. He dreamed of something impossible: a wine that would capture the fire of the volcano in bottle form – deep black like cooled lava, dense like volcanic smoke, concentrated like the embers inside the earth. In the Contrada Guardiola, at an altitude of 820 metres, he planted two grape varieties in the early 2000s that never belonged there: Petit Verdot from Saint-Julien and Cesanese d'Affile from Lazio – a vine that he saved from extinction. The Sicilians thought he was crazy. The wine world was sceptical. But in 2005, when the first vintage was released, the critics fell silent. Franchetti had not only created a wine – he had materialised his vision of Etna.

Particella No. 341. A plot number that has long since become the stuff of legend amongst Etna connoisseurs. Here, in the Contrada Dafara Galluzzo in the upper reaches of Rovittello, stand vines that have never left Europe – ungrafted Alberello vines that have been rooted in the volcanic sands of the northern slope for over a century. When Giuseppe Benanti began to realise his vision of modern Etna wine in 1988, the classic Rovittello was one of his first red wines. The experience matured over almost three decades – until, in 2015, the winery decided to vinify this unique plot separately and elevate it to Riserva status through an exceptional ageing programme totalling 60 months.

There are wines that define a region. Pietra Marina is one such wine. When it became the first Etna ever to receive the Tre Bicchieri of the Gambero Rosso in 2007 – and when Benanti was named Winery of the Year in the same year –This was more than just an honour: it marked the birth of the modern Etna Bianco on the world stage. The name itself tells the story: Pietra Marina, sea stone – a word that combines volcanic landscapes, flint, minerality and a salty sea breeze. Since 1991, the first vintage, Giuseppe Benanti has conceived this wine as proof of the potential of the Carricante from Milo. Today it is recognised as one of the most typical, elegant and long-lived white wines in Italy. The grapes come from the uppermost, more porous part of the Contrada Rinazzo – the same location as Contrada Rinazzo, but from a sector with less sandy, more skeletal soil. Here, at an altitude of 800 metres, steep terraces with dry stone walls made of black lava stone look eastwards towards the Ionian Sea, just eight kilometres away. The Alberello vines, some over 90 years old, are rooted in mineral-rich volcanic sand with a sub-acidic profile. Extreme planting densities of 8,000 to 9,000 vines per hectare and yields of just 5,500 kg guarantee concentration. The climate: humid, often snowy in winter, with exceptional ventilation and marked day-night fluctuations.

A Nerello from the flanks of Etna – radical in its origins, resolute in its form. Alberelli di Giodo is the Sicilian expression of the signature of Carlo Ferrini, one of Italy's most respected Oenologist. The vines are rooted in Contrada Rampante, 950 metres above sea level on the northern slopes of the volcano – one of the most prestigious sites on the north side of Mount Etna. Grown in the traditional Alberello system, the vines stand on mineral-rich, sandy-volcanic soils interspersed with ash, basalt and pumice. They are ancient vines from times before the phylloxera plague – each one a gnarled, living testimony to the volcanic earth.

Graci's fourth vintage Sopra il Pozzo is a "selection from the selection" and comes from the Arcurìa vineyard. It is the red archetype of an Etna Rosso, a Nerello cru with the clear DNA of the volcanic-stony terroir. Light ruby with orange reflections, candied fruit on the nose, cooling firewood, some aniseed and herbs. The palate is silky without being smooth, its subtle wood and delicate acid wire harmonise perfectly with the flanking tannin until the unforgettable, mineral-salty finish. Only 2,300 bottles were bottled. SUPERIORE.DE

The Grand Cru Sopra il Pozzo is Graci's personal homage to a tiny section of land within the Contrada Arcurìa – a higher part, stony, barren, cool, at around 750 metres above sea level. The soil: decomposed lava basalt, ash, pumice. Low in nutrients, but full of energy. Old Nerello Mascalese vines are rooted here in bush form in harmony with the centuries-old cultural landscape of the northern slope of Mount Etna. The 2019 vintage was balanced and significantly cooler than its predecessors, characterised by a long vegetation cycle with late harvest. The result: an Etna Rosso with precise fruit, lively acidity and clear linearity – less volume, more depth. Vinification is classic: spontaneous fermentation with maceration for approx. 30 days, followed by ageing for 24 months in large neutral barrels.

The annual production of this boutique winery on Etna is just 9,000 bottles. At an altitude of 950 metres above sea level, the one and a half hectares of vines are divided into eight tiny plots and have been gradually bought up by the well-known Oenologist. The area is planted with Nerello Mascalese bush vines, which have been spared the phylloxera phylloxera and make their way through the lava-covered terraces.

In the tranquil stillness of Calderara Sottana, where time follows its own rules, lies a sanctuary: La Vigna di Don pep. Here, on barely 0.8 hectares of ancient volcanic soil, the vines have worked a miracle: they survived the great phylloxera disaster that ravaged the whole of Europe more than a century ago and destroyed millions of vineyards. These few rows of ungrafted Nerello Mascalese vines, which have been rooted in the stony soils of the elliptical terroir since 1880, are living witnesses to over 140 years of viticultural history. They stand there like aged princesses in a royal garden; their charming wrinkles tell of generations they have seen come and go, whilst they themselves have remained steadfast.

The Carricante grapes for this extremely rare Etna Bianco come from phylloxera-resistant (pre-phylloxera) vines from a single vineyard on the eastern slope of Etna at an altitude of 800 metres. Only a single oak barrel is filled each year, resulting in less than 2,000 bottles per vintage.

There are wines that exist and those that are virtually unavailable. Piano delle Colombe belongs to the second category – a "phantom wine" made from 750 bottles, a myth made of glass and time, a dream that only materialises for a select few. In the most sublime parcel of the prestigious Contrada San Lorenzo, on just 4,000 square metres of volcanic soil, Giuseppe Russo has created a wine that blurs the boundaries between reality and legend. The name tells a story that is as poetic as the wine itself: Girolamo, Giuseppe's father, claimed with a mischievous smile that the pigeons – "colombe" – always came to this small, flat area of the contrada to steal the very best grapes. "They have better taste than we do," he used to say as he watched the little thieves make their selection among the ancient Alberello vines. What began as a family anecdote became the name of a wine that is now one of the most sought-after treasures in the whole of Etna.

The vines for Sant'Andrea are rooted at an altitude of around 900 metres in the Contrada of the same name north-east of Solicchiata – one of the highest and coolest wine villages on Etna. It is a place with dramatic vegetation, fog banks, ancient lava layers and unpredictable temperature changes. Here, Carricante develops a completely independent, almost ascetic character. The grapes come from a tiny parcel of old vines, which Pietradolce cultivates with painstaking manual labour. The wine is matured with calm consistency: spontaneous fermentation in large oak barrels, followed by maturation on the fine lees for 12 months in tonneau, then bottle ageing.

The pure, autochthonous Nerello Mascalese from over 100-year-old (ungrafted) vines in Contrada Rampante on the northern slopes of Mount Etna at an altitude of 950 metres starts with a sparkling ruby-garnet colour and impressively adds a captivating raspberry aroma, followed by fine spicy notes (ginger, allspice, clove). Compact, dense, fully fruity, tannic on the palate, yet always extremely relaxed, elegant and supple. Traces of salt and flint on the finish. Just over 2,000 bottles of this masterpiece are produced every year. SUPERIORE.DE

In the upper areas of the historic Contrada Rovittello – at an altitude of around 700 metres, on volcanic rock with a high basalt content – the old Nerello Mascalese vines of Il Musmeci take root. Some of them are even over 100 years old, their roots penetrating deep into the barren, mineral-rich soil. The north-eastern flank of Mount Etna provides a cool microclimate with a strong contrast between day and night – decisive for the aromatic precision. The name Il Musmeci is a tribute to the former owner of the parcel, Cav. Santi Musmeci, whose respect for terroir and tradition became the legacy of this wine.

The wine bears the name of its creator – and with good reason. Andrea Franchetti, the pioneer of modern Etna viticulture who sadly died far too early in 2021, dared to do the unthinkable in the early 2000s: he planted international grape varieties at extreme altitudes on a remote lava slope in Passopisciaro with the aim of producing a wine that would not adapt but set new standards. Franchetti is made from Petit Verdot and Cesanese d'Affile in one of the highest and most radiant areas of the volcano. The lava rock, the light, the altitude – everything here seems more concentrated, more intense, magical, almost supernatural.

There are wines that define a region. Pietra Marina is one such wine. When it became the first Etna ever to receive the Tre Bicchieri of the Gambero Rosso in 2007 – and when Benanti was named Winery of the Year in the same year –This was more than just an honour: it marked the birth of the modern Etna Bianco on the world stage. The name itself tells the story: Pietra Marina, sea stone – a word that combines volcanic landscapes, flint, minerality and a salty sea breeze. Since 1991, the first vintage, Giuseppe Benanti has conceived this wine as proof of the potential of the Carricante from Milo. Today it is recognised as one of the most typical, elegant and long-lived white wines in Italy. The grapes come from the uppermost, more porous part of the Contrada Rinazzo – the same location as Contrada Rinazzo, but from a sector with less sandy, more skeletal soil. Here, at an altitude of 800 metres, steep terraces with dry stone walls made of black lava stone look eastwards towards the Ionian Sea, just eight kilometres away. The Alberello vines, some over 90 years old, are rooted in mineral-rich volcanic sand with a sub-acidic profile. Extreme planting densities of 8,000 to 9,000 vines per hectare and yields of just 5,500 kg guarantee concentration. The climate: humid, often snowy in winter, with exceptional ventilation and marked day-night fluctuations.

Contrada Sciaranuova Vecchie Vigne is the most concentrated, broodingvoice from the Sciaranuova vineyard - a Nerello Mascalese from vines over 80 years old, grown at an altitude of 730 metres on the northern flank of Mount Etna. The ungrafted vines stand in an amphitheatre of dark, sandy volcanic ash, interspersed with basalt rock and characterised by enormous day-night amplitude. The 2019 vintage was one of the most balanced of the decade: a rainy spring was followed by a moderately warm summer and a dry autumn, which allowed for a late, very differentiated harvest.

At an altitude of 900 metres, on the northern slope of Mount Etna, lies a tiny amphitheatre. It is not a geometric structure, not a terraced work of human hands – but a natural cauldron of volcanic ash and lava rock, where old Nerello Mascalese vines have stood for more than a century, surrounded by wild flowers, olive trees, figs and cherries. James Button from Decanter wrote: Barbagalli is the most picturesque vineyard he has ever seen on Etna. Anyone who has ever visited it will understand why he doesn't seek any further comparison. These vines survived phylloxera. Almost all vineyards in Europe were destroyed by phylloxera at the end of the 19th century. Here, at an altitude of 900 metres, in black volcanic sand and rubble-rich rock, the pest had no basis back then. The vines are still standing on their own roots. The same roots that were pressed into this earth 100 to 120 years ago. They are reminiscent of an Etna that nobody recognises anymore.

Tasca d'Almerita recalls the first vintage of their legendary Rosso del Conte from the San Lucio vineyard with this lush Riserva del Conte. Ruby red, the aromas of berries, cherries and spices have wonderfully taken the wood into their midst. A lively taste, dense tannins and an endless finish complete the perfect picture. SUPERIORE.DE

Tasca got involved in Etna early on and the latest result of these years of experience are four new single vineyard wines from the Tascante estate: Contrada Rampante, Pianodario, Sciaranuova and Sciaranuova Vigna Vecchia (V.V.). The wines are delicate and profound, and despite their power, acidity and taut tannin, very elegant, finesse-rich and light-footed on the palate. Each of the four plots brings a slightly different style and personality to the wine - due to the altitude, soil composition and morphology of the historic lava flows. A high annual rainfall ensures that the soil has all the water it needs, and the temperature fluctuations between day and night support the aromatic diversity of the grapes and ultimately the ripening potential.