Nerello

Santo Spirito is one of the most striking contrade on the eastern slopes of Mount Etna – less stony than Rampante, but no less impressive. Here, at an altitude of around 700 metres, the old Nerello Mascalese vines are deeply rooted in ashy volcanic soil with a high sand content. The microclimate is cooler, the humidity higher and the east-facing exposure gives the grapes gentle morning warmth. Pietradolce vinifies the single-vineyard wine traditionally with spontaneous fermentation in wooden vats, followed by approx. 12 months of ageing in large French tonneaux.

Feudo di Mezzo is located in the heart of the northern Etna belt – one of the oldest and most traditional contrade around Castiglione di Sicilia. The vineyards are situated at an altitude of around 750 metres on ancient lava flows and iron-rich volcanic soils that produce dark fruit, mineral depth and remarkable elegance. The microclimate is cool, the exposure ideal – large temperature differences between day and night favour slow, complete ripening. Feudo di Mezzo is not considered one of the Grand Cru from the volcano for nothing. The pure Nerello Mascalese comes from vines that are over 60 years old and trained as Alberello. The grapes are harvest manually in small crates, followed by a traditional maceration with a long standing time at controlled temperatures. The wine then matures for 14 months in Liters French oak tonneaux before resting for a further year in the bottle.

Initially, the wines from Etna led a rather shadowy existence; the great potential of the wines, some of which were produced in very small quantities, usually only delighted connoisseurs. Even today, many of the winegrowers are still so-called insider tips, as the wines produced in small quantities hardly appear on the international markets, or only in very homeopathic quantities. Like us here at SUPERIORE.DE, Angelo Gaja recognised the incomparable elegance and class, the minerality and the purist style of the Nerello and Carricante grapes early on and therefore entered into a joint venture with Alberto Graci a few years ago.

Typical ruby red colour with a matt sheen. Well-defined and clean on the nose, with notes of cherry, small, mostly red fruits and a subtle, delicate spiciness. Fresh on the palate, opens wide and finishes with a spicy note and considerable length. The tannins, very well extracted, delicately caress the palate. A wine full of elegance and harmony, with pronounced terroir typicity and recognisable ageing potential. SUPERIORE.DE

Born in the Contrada Arcurìa near Passopisciaro – around 650 metres high on the north-eastern flank of Mount Etna – this Nerello Mascalese carries the clarity of the volcanic slopes in every nuance. The 2020 vintage was the year of deep balance. Warm days were tempered by cooling night-time temperatures, allowing the grapes to achieve healthy ripeness with a lean fruit structure. The harvest took place late, carefully and in small batches. The wine is fermented traditionally and matured for around 24 months in large wooden barrels.

Feudo di Mezzo is more than just a vineyard – it is the historic centrepiece of viticulture on Etna. One of Pietradolce's oldest and most fascinating plots is located in the contrada of the same name, around 600 metres above sea level between the lava flows of past eruptions. The Nerello Mascalese vines are rooted here in deep black, mineral-rich lava soil with excellent drainage. The microclimate is characterised by wide temperature fluctuations, which give the wine a special depth and tension. Vinification is carried out with great sensitivity: spontaneous fermentation in traditional wooden vats, maturing for around 12 months in large tonneaux.

Contrada Rampante is one of the highest and most renowned vineyards on the north-east slope of Mount Etna. At around 1,000 metres above sea level, Nerello Mascalese thrives here on volcanic sandy soils with a high lava content – a terroir of rare expressiveness that combines cool nights, long vegetation cycles and extreme slopes. The vines are over 100 years old – partly ungrafted – produce small-berried, concentrated grapes. After fermentation in cement, the wine matures for around 12 months in large wooden barrels and then for several months in the bottle.

The Nerello Mascalese vines for the Archineri Rosso are rooted deep in the terraced vineyards of Contrada Rampante – at an altitude of around 850 metres on pure volcanic rock. It is a barren, yet vital terroir which, in combination with old, ungrafted vines and strict selection, produces wines of almost ascetic precision. The grapes are fermented spontaneously, then matured for around 12 months in large, used oak barrels before being bottled without filtration.

The place where it all began in 2002. The first vintage of Tenuta delle Terre Nere did not come from just any plot. It came from the Guardiola: the estate's highest vineyard, the most challenging, and the oldest. For the first Etna wine of his career, Marco de Grazia chose the toughest start he could find. And he gave it two further firsts: the first time an Etna Rosso bore the Contrada name on the label. And the first time it was bottled in a Burgundy-style bottle. The Contrada Guardiola lies at an altitude of 900 to 1,000 metres – right on the very edge of the Etna DOC. No grapes grow any higher up. The soils are poor: sand, volcanic pumice, basalt scree – the bare minimum a vine needs. The terraces become narrower with increasing altitude; vineyard work there is carried out exclusively by hand and is exceptionally difficult. The vines have stood on this soil for over a hundred years – on their own roots, ungrafted, because phylloxera never reached these high altitudes on Mount Etna. Pre-phylloxera. Alive.

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.

Alongside Fragore, Etna-Cru Donnafugata, named after the Contrada Marchesa vineyard of the same name, is Donnafugata's second top wine from the volcano. Its label is adorned with a volcano goddess decorated with flowers and fruit, next to which is the medieval village of Castiglione di Sicilia. The Nerello vines grow on a lava soil rich in minerals, and the location to the north of the volcano ensures temperate summers with strong temperature fluctuations between day and night.

Feudo di Mezzo 2021 is an Etna Rosso that acts as a silent mirror of the altitude – luminous but restrained, characterised by the elegance of traditional grape varieties and a touch of irresistible beauty. The 2021 vintage did not produce extreme ripeness on the flanks of Mount Etna, but rather a multi-faceted interplay of red cherries, rose petals and delicately bitter grapefruit – a lively dance between freshness and depth. Early frosts were offset by gentle summer sunshine, allowing for perfect balance and aromatic finesse. The cuvée consists of 85% Nerello Mascalese and 15% Nerello Cappuccio, grown on mineral-rich, volcanic gravel and lava soil in the Contrada Feudo di Mezzo, around 650 to 700 metres above sea level. After selective hand-picking, the wine undergoes traditional fermentation with a long maceration period, followed by 24 months of ageing in large wooden 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.

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.

On the far north-western edge of the Etna DOC, where the cold reigns and time seems to stand still, lies San Lorenzo – one of the volcano's three holy grails. Here, at an altitude of 750 metres in the municipality of Randazzo, we encounter a geological wonder: a pure elliptical terroir, formed 60,000 years ago by the explosive activity of the Ellittico crater. Marc de Grazia recognised something extraordinary in San Lorenzo – a place of aristocratic purity. Of the hundreds of contrade on Mount Etna, only three possess this unadulterated elliptical heritage: Bocca d'Orzo, Calderara and San Lorenzo. Millennia of lava flows have buried all the older soils, leaving only tiny, precious fragments of these ancient volcanic sands.

In the heart of the northern Etna amphitheatre, where time seems to be carved in stone, lies Calderara Sottana, the realm of black stones. Here, at an altitude of 600 to 650 metres in the municipality of Randazzo, one of the volcano's geological mysteries is revealed: A terroir so rich in stones that, in the most characteristic areas, the soil disappears beneath them – fist-sized, light chunks of black pumice and basalt. The name Calderara evokes the warmth that the black stones absorb during the day and release back into the earth during the cold nights. Marc de Grazia recognised Calderara Sottana as one of the three sacred 'contrade' of the pure Ellittico heritage – that precious geological legacy resulting from the activity of the Ellittico crater between 60,000 and 15,000 years ago. Of all the crus in the Etna DOC, these are undoubtedly the stoniest soils, even stonier than the aristocratic San Lorenzo to the west. Here, ancient vines aged between 50 and 100 years take root in this mineral labyrinth of volcanic rock, where every plant fights for every centimetre of fertile soil.

Etna is one of Italy's most fascinating wine regions and Andrea Franchetti is probably the most fanatical producer in this area. Added to this are eighty-year-old indigenous Nerello Mascalese vines. The single vineyard Contrada Porcaria has a thoroughly masculine personality. Darkly scented with ripe fruit and menthol, the palate is predominantly spice and mineral with many other facets. The course and the final are rich, dense and very convincing. SUPERIORE.DE

Fragore by Donnafugata from the Etna region of Montelaguardia in Randazzo joins the collection of iconic wines Mille e una Notte and Ben Ryè. With only 15,000 bottles, Donnafugata has produced a limited edition treasure. Fragore means thunder in Italian and refers to the volcanic thunder of Mount Etna, Europe's highest and most active volcano. Grapes of the autochthonous Nerello Mascalese grape variety from selected vineyards were used.

Ruby garnet colour, fine violet note and many spices in the bouquet. Dense and compact with taut tannin and sweet fruit melt. Given time, this already very elegant red (age of the vines: 100 years, production: 4,000 bottles) is at the beginning of a long, promising development. SUPERIORE.DE

Passopisciaro's Contrada C is an exquisite red with a dark sensual fruit bouquet. Stylistically like a great Pinot Noir or Nebbiolo, of remarkable intensity on the palate until the lingering final. A muscular and weightless wine at the same time. SUPERIORE.DE

Contrada Rampante grows on the highest vineyard of Passopisciaro. The soils have a higher sand content and the harvest takes place later here. On the nose, dark red cherries, flowers, mint and liquorice. Rampante is an elegant, energetic and dynamic red with clear fruit and silky tannins. SUPERIORE.DE

Ruby garnet colour, fine violet and rose notes and many spices in the bouquet. Dense and compact with taut tannin and sweet fruit melt. Given time, this captivating red is at the beginning of a long, promising development. SUPERIORE.DE

Chiappemacine lies below the famous Guardiola parcel, at an altitude of around 550 metres – a comparatively warm and wind-protected section by Etna standards, with broodingsoils consisting of quarried lava and ash. These conditions give the Nerello Mascalese from here a darker fruit, softer tannins and a more open character. The vines are around 80 years old and, as with all Contrada wines, the wine is aged for around 18 months in large, used wooden barrels.

Rampante lies high up on the northern slope of Mount Etna, at an altitude of around 1,000 metres – one of the coolest sites in Passopisciaro's portfolio. The vines grow on young, porous lava rock, which is rich in minerals and gives the wine a striking verticality and salinity. Nerello Mascalese shows its most delicate, tautest expression here. The vinification follows the usual house style: spontaneous fermentation, long maceration and approx. 18 months maturation in large, used wooden barrels.