Girolamo Russo

Passopisciaro is the name of the small village on the northern slopes of Mount Etna. From here the resurrection of Etna Rosso developed. Situated between Randazzo and Solichiata, it is home to some of the very best sites at 600 to 900 metres above sea level, created on pure lava. Only 30 kilometres as the crow flies from Taormina or Catania. Ancient stock cultures, called Albarello, which can be quite a hundred years old, are rooted here directly in the volcanic rock. Hence the name of the place, in regional dialect means "Sciara" viz. "lava". So you could do Passopisciaro with "Goes on the lava" Translate. If you continue to think freely, you'll also be able to "lava-rooting" and can also be applied to humans.

That's the kind of guy Giuseppe Russo is. He comes from Passopisciaro and is deeply rooted here. And he doesn't want to be anywhere else. That's why he has been building a new winery called Girolamo Russo with old vines since 2005 with joy, a lot of effort and an unbelievable amount of work. Slowly and steadily, and again and again long negotiated, if one of the "old" of the place and no descendants were there or had long since moved to the city. Then Giuseppe tried to buy or lease these old vineyards. Together with the property of his father, after whom the vineyard is named, it now covers 15 hectares, surrounded by hazelnut bushes and olive trees.

With the minimal yields that such ancient Albarello wine trees still deliver, you almost have to fight for the bottles, so rare - and so much in demand - they are now. No wonder, because Giuseppe Russo works out the fine differences of the floors like hardly anyone else. Different old lava flows produce different mineral notes, which then produce these fine differences in the equally different microclimate. Of course, such a meticulous winemaking can only be carried out with appropriate organic soil management. Hardly anyone uses less spray than Giuseppe. And manual work is necessary anyway, as these old poles could not be machined even if they did not stand on these steep terraces.

"Wine from Etna couldn't be more typical." wrote a wine journalist the other day. And hit the nail on the head. Who wants to know how such a wine from the volcano, how such a Nerello Mascalese actually tastes, whether it can really be as elegant as Barolo or Burgundy, whether this wine is really as elegant as Barolo or Burgundy, whether it is as good as a wine from the volcano, or whether it is as elegant as a Nerello Mascalese. "hype" is really justified, he once afforded a wine from Girolamo Russo. But be careful. Repeat orders are almost guaranteed. SUPERIORE.DE