Girolamo Russo

Enchanting Etna Rosso à Rina with balsamic spicy bouquet and a balanced, yet very characterful, juicy, long taste. Fine fruit, good acidity, firm tannin. Perfect reproduction of the terroir. SUPERIORE.DE

Multilayered aroma profile of dried apple, pear, chamomile, exotic fruits and ash. On the palate full of grace, dry, fruity and intense, a delicate acidity and fine minerality lend freshness. Very elegant and attractive white wine from Etna with good potential and never-ending experience factor: every sip opens up new facets of this very special wine. SUPERIORE.DE

"The 2018 Etna Bianca Nerina is subdued at first, but then it leads to a linear and sharp bouquet that features lemon zest, pear, white peach and crushed stone. The wine offers all the components necessary to peg it to the volcanic soils of Etna, and this is something Beppe Russo achieves with pinpoint precision. This vintage shows slightly, just a hair, less depth than some of its predecessors, but a near to medium-term drinking cycle and a grilled filet of striped bass will do it justice." Robert Parker

Feudo, in bright colours, shows lively aromas of raspberry, mint, minerals and flowers, which continue on the palate full of energy. This richness, harmony and freshness also accompany the almost endless finish. SUPERIORE.DE

"Sparkling, brightening ruby garnet. Fragrant, multi-layered nose of saffron, raspberry drops and cinchona bark. On the palate a great game, salty, dense, fine-meshed tannin, in the back sweet enamel, which envelops the tannin wonderfully." Falstaff

"Bright ruby-red. Refined raspberry and red cherry on the nose, joined by quinine and floral notes that build with air. Fresh red berry and smoked beef flavors are given an exotic touch by an element of orange zest. Closes with a meaty tactile quality, gentle tannic grip and lingering violet nuances." Ian d’Agata (vinous.com)

"The nose here is very vivid with cherries, ginger and Provençal herbs. The palate is really flavorful and delicious, showcasing blueberry flavors and a creamy minerally edge to boot. Beautiful wine from Girolamo Russo's top contrada." James Suckling

"Mid ruby with orange tinges. A little deeper and richer on the nose than the Feudo di Mezzo. Same elegant palate weight and style with lots of finely chiselled tannins. Impossible to say which of the two is superior, but this has captivating purity and gorgeous, grainy tannins." Jancis Robinson

"Showing vibrant color saturation, the 2014 Etna Rosso Feudo is the most conventional and contemporary of Giuseppe Russo's single-vineyard red wines in this fabulous vintage. It earns high marks for this reason. This classic Etna red shows dark-fruit aromas of prune, plum and pressed blackberry. Dark mineral notes with grilled herb and pressed flower fill in at the rear. It offers the quality you should expect of a wine of this important pedigree." Robert Parker

Feudo - in brilliant ruby garnet - shows lively aromas of raspberry, mint, minerals and flowers, which continue on the palate full of energy. This richness, harmony and freshness also accompany the almost endless finish. SUPERIORE.DE

"Cask sample. Just mid crimson. Deep, aromatic raspberry fruit with hints of stalks. Sweet, intense raspberry fruit palate wrapped up in powdery tannins. Elegantly built but at the same time lots of concentration." Jancis Robinson

"I love the spice and tangy fruit you get in the 2017 Etna Rosso Feudo, which is spicier and more exotic in character compared to past vintages. The effect is lovely, because the wine is well balanced by very crisp, crunchy wild berry fruit. This is one of the most beautiful, delicate and yet fragile expressions you can get from Etna. The wine is brimming with finesse and elegance. I tasted it right after opening the bottle and again about 24 hours later, and its evolution is impressive and multifaceted, adding more complexity and intensity the longer the wine is in the glass." Robert Parker

San Lorenzo, named after the Roman deacon and martyr, boasts irresistible aromas of red cherry, marzipan, quinine, blood orange and mineral stones. Excellent nuances on the palate with polished tannins, remarkable length and great elegance. San Lorenzo of Etna - a confession. SUPERIORE.DE

"A great score with different facets: A nose rich in finesse, smells of wild berries and undergrowth, with hints of cinchona bark and menthol. Acidity and tannins in perfect symbiosis, full of elegance and length until the marzipan-blood-orange finale. Nobel." Vinum

"Sparkling, brightening garnet red. Opened with accentuated notes of rhubarb, dark olive paste and bitter oranges. Blossoms grandiosely on the palate, thick, substantial tannin, opens in many layers, salty and deep, in the final long reverberation." Falstaff

"Moderately saturated ruby-red. Highly nuanced, clean aromas of raspberry, cool stones, orange peel, coriander and nutty oak, complicated by hints of smoky tobacco. Sweet, suave and wonderfully fine-grained, with a fleshiness given shape by harmonious acidity that leaves an impression of vibrancy and energy on the long pure finish. Strikes me as easily the best wine of the vintage from Russo." Vinous

"The floral notes to this are very expressive and attractive. Poppies, tulips and rose petals are the main feature and quickly joined by dried herbs and tobacco. Impressive chewiness to the tannins, which frame the floral notes against a backdrop of razor-sharp acidity. Long finish." James Suckling

"I'm having a hard time choosing my favorite single-vineyard expression among this group of new releases from Giuseppe Russo. The 2016 Etna Rosso San Lorenzo, to me, is the most elegant and complete. It has most of the power of the Feudo di Mezzo (my other favorite) with some of the more interesting and wild aromas you get in the other wines. It's all packed into this very complete bottle. This wine is almost all Nerello Mascalese with a tiny part Nerello Cappuccio. Go in close and you will smell those crushed white pepper aromas that come from the Cappuccio. This wine might also be a touch more accessible overall." Robert Parker

"The highest of Russo’s crus at almost 800m, this is the most muscular and ageworthy wine, from 100% Nerello Mascalese. Smoky tobacco leads to stony minerality with wild flowers and sour cherry poking through. Tactile, elegant tannins." Decanter

Text follows. SUPERIORE.DE

"Cask sample. Palish crimson. Concentrated and more spicy on the nose than the Calderara Sottana. Gorgeous grainy tannins supporting the concentrated fruit." Jancis Robinson

"What a beauty this wine is. The 2017 Etna Rosso Feudo di Mezzo offers a delicate embroidery of wild berry fruit, mountain herbs, blue flowers, wild rose, sweet almond and candied tangerine. You feel some of the heat of the vintage, but in the relatively cool climate of Etna and with the late-ripening Nerello Mascalese grape, this hot vintage has added to the intensity and the complexity of the wine. The hot vintage is an important asset in this case. I love the depth and definition and nervous tension you get here." Robert Parker

San Lorenzo, named after the Roman deacon and martyr, boasts irresistible aromas of red cherry, marzipan, quinine, blood orange and mineral stones. Excellent nuances on the palate with polished tannins, remarkable length and great elegance. San Lorenzo of Etna - a confession and one of many examples that the red wines of Etna can keep up with the fine and elegant representatives of Nebbiolo. SUPERIORE.DE

"Cask sample. Just mid crimson. Minerally raspberry with iron hints and notes of orange skin. Concentrated yet really fine and with bags of powdery tannins that never overpower the fruit. Very long and poised. A real cru." Jancis Robinson

"The 2017 Etna Rosso San Lorenzo is beautifully balanced and bright. Indeed, San Lorenzo is often my favorite single-vineyard expression from Beppe Russo, although I preferred some of the other expressions in this unique vintage. The wine shows elegance and purity, all clearly within the context of a warm growing season that produced overripe aromas in many of the red wines made on Etna. This expression holds back in terms of that overt ripeness, stopping cautiously at black fruit, sweet spice and volcanic ash. Pull this one out for a grilled veal or pork dinner." Robert Parker

Only 1,800 bottles of this vintage were bottled. Extremely complex bouquet of blackberry, currant and sour cherry, with perfectly integrated notes of Mediterranean herbs. Broad and elegant on the palate, supported by a filigree acid wire that makes it fresh and lively. A great wine of excellent structure and with remarkable persistence and depth in taste. SUPERIORE.DE

"Cask sample. Just mid crimson. Deep, brooding, sweet and intense. Ripe, deep fruit palate. Long and perfumed and with plenty of velvety tannins. The high acidity indicates this hasn’t gone through malo yet." Jancis Robinson