IDDA | Gaja & Graci

IDDA is the moment when two outstanding personalities of Italian viticulture unite their signatures: Angelo Gaja, who revolutionised Piedmont and redefined the international understanding of top Italian wine, and Alberto Graci, one of the key protagonists of the modern Etna renaissance. What began in 2015 as a meeting between two winemakers with exceptional clarity became a joint project in 2016. A project based not on compromise, but on a shared commitment to uncompromisingly focus on origin, precision and longevity.

The name IDDA – in the Sicilian dialect "she" – is a tribute to the mountain itself: Etna, whose presence, energy and contrasts have characterised people for centuries. For Gaja and Graci, it is not a stage, but a living organism. Their idea was not to imitate this power, but to translate it into wine: delicate and at the same time deep, with vibrant tension, carried by the elegance that only high altitudes can produce.

Vineyards of fire and light

IDDA's plots are located on the south and south-west flanks of Mount Etna, in Biancavilla and Belpasso, between 600 and over 800 metres above sea level. This is where cool downslope winds meet intense sunshine, where lava ash, basalt, pumice and volcanic sands alternate in geological layers that challenge the roots of the vines.

In Biancavilla, old Nerello Mascalese vines from the 1970s grow alongside newly planted plots of land – a dialogue between past and future. Belpasso, on the other hand, is characterised by a natural "dagala", an island of fertile soil surrounded by lava – a volcanic clos framed by black stone. The project covers a total of around twenty hectares. The grape varieties are deliberately focussed on the essence of Etna: Nerello Mascalese and Carricante, two varieties that bring cool altitudes, wind and the mineral rigour of the soil directly into the wine.

Two facets of a mountain

The red wines are characterised by the Nerello Mascalese – the grape variety that combines transparency, precision and a subtle tannin structure like no other. The fruit always remains clear and fine, the tannins cool and silky, the expression elegant and infused with smoky minerality. Wood plays a secondary role; the decisive factor is the tension between freshness, altitude and volcanic energy.

The white side of the project is dedicated to the Carricante. The IDDA Bianco is fermented cool and matures for around twelve months in stainless steel and larger wooden barrels. Its character is of crystalline clarity: citrus zest, herbs, fine floral accents, subtle aniseed notes and a salty, mineral final that reflects Etna in all its topographical drama.

Characters with staying power

IDDA is deliberately designed for the long term. The quantities remain small – around 70,000 bottles per year – and should only grow when the quality of the vineyard allows it. The newly built winery in Belpasso is an expression of this precision work: functional, purist, completely subordinate to the surroundings and the wine.

Angelo Gaja says that Etna is a "place with magnetic power" for him; Alberto Graci, in turn, describes the project as an opportunity to "depict the elegance and electricity of the mountain in its purest form". This attitude has resulted in a project that is not loud, but has a deep impact – etna wines with Gaja precision and Graci instinct, borne by humility towards the mountain. SUPERIORE.DE