Etnadays diary 2022 (2)

One more day packed with tours and tastings, and to conclude the hike to the top of the volcano, to embrace from three thousand meters a unique and fascinating way.

The second day of tours in the area was also dense with appointments. We started at Vivera, in the Martinella district, northeast slope. The volcanic and unstoppable Loredana Vivera was keen to explain to us how the soil in this contrada is different, as an ancient flow with deep soils rich in stones. Here she manages an experimental vineyard with the University of Milan to study different clones of Nerello. Guest Manuela Seminara of the Berdivino winery, located on the eastern side, a young winery (but the vineyards belong to her great-grandfather Don Lorenzo) that was born with clear ideas and a more "Nordic" style, whether due to her husband Fabio's Bergamo origins or the Piedmontese winemaker Gianluca Scaglione. Another guest the Turi Eccellenze dell'Etna winery with young Salvatore "Turi" Lìcari, grandson of that Turi master of vineyards and olive groves that he took over again in 2018 to start with a modern wine and oil production.

A short drive to contrada Santo Spirito, on the northern slope between Passopisciaro and Randazzo. The winery is Palmento Costanzo and the exquisite host Valeria Agosta Costanzo, who took the opportunity to introduce us to the "new generation" in the guise of her daughter Serena. Significant investments and grit for a production that sees the light in the old renovated palmento and that now convinces. Guests included the wineries Irene Badalà, small but very old, with centuries-old vineyards; Zumbo with the very young sisters Erica and Ramona, who follow in grandfather Salvatore's footsteps; and Tenuta Foti Randazzese with young Giacomo, who emphasizes the importance of the winery's biodiversity with orchards and olive groves sharing space with the vineyards.

It was then time for a meeting with winemaker-poet Pucci Giuffrida, a sui generis character, owner of the Al-Cantàra estate, 15 hectares of vineyard, 3 of olive trees and forest, a Mediterranean herb garden and a small museum with the works of several artists that formed the basis for charity auctions. Several guests, sharing the support of in-house winemaker Salvo Rizzuto: Vini F.lli Calì, with Salvatore Calì; Feudo Vagliasindi, with Corrado Vassallo; Vignaioli delle Contrade with Antonio Savoca and Salvo Farfaglia. 

The busy day of visits and tastings ended at Planeta in Sciaranuova, where young Costante Planeta, Alessio's 24-year-old son, represented the family, supported by the eclectic Flavia Russo. This important family of Sicilian viticulture landed on Etna in 2006 to make mountain wines, with a focus on white wines in the southern zone above the DOC boundary, with the famous Eruzione 1614 line. Hosted by the Calcagno family, with young Giusy guiding us with her wines among the Feudo di Mezzo and Arcuria districts in Passopisciaro, in the hamlet of Castiglione di Sicilia, where the family owns vineyards between 70 and 90 years old.

The excursion to the top of the volcano, which we made the next day, concluded the journey of discovery of Etna's vineyards, with their different slopes and lava flows, exposures and different pedoclimatic conditions, dry stone walls and centuries-old saplings, glimpses towards the sea and black ski slopes, with the gaze turned to the top of the omnipresent "muntagna."

And these are the wines of the second day that I prefer to emphasize:

Vivera
Etna Bianco Contrada Martinella Salisire 2018

94/100 – € 25

100% Carricante dall’omonima contrada a Linguaglossa. Biologico. Affina 24 mesi sulle fecce fini. Giallo dorato. Naso intenso e ricco di note fruttate di pesca, albicocca, poi pietra focaia e cenni di mentuccia. In bocca è molto fresco e salino, con un’esplosione di pesca nettarina e un lungo finale.

Turi - Eccellenze dell'Etna
Etna Rosso Turano Bio 2021

93/100 - € 18

100% Nerello Mascalese. Biologico. Anfore di terracotta poi un anno in barrique. Rubino chiaro. Naso pulito con frutti di bosco, arancia sanguinella, cenni floreali e di bosco, sbuffi di cenere. Bocca morbida e suadente, tannini fini e integrati, sorso rotondo e coerente nel finale.

Berdivino
Etna Rosso Il Sublime 2020

93/100 – 

100% Nerello Mascalese di diversi cloni da viti centenarie. Matura due anni in barrique. Rubino molto chiaro. Bell’impatto olfattivo, intenso e profumato, con note di frutta fresca, fiori rossi e sfumature balsamiche. In bocca è tipico e saporito, ancora molto giovane ma dall’ottima qualità dei tannini. Mostra un grande potenziale.

Palmento Costanzo
Etna Rosso Contrada Santo Spirito 2019

92/100 -  € 40,00

90% Nerello Mascalese con saldi di uve locali dall’omonima contrada. Matura in ovetti di rovere francese per 24 mesi. Rosso rubino leggermente scarico. Al naso note di ciliegia, kirsch, cipria, polvere di caffè e alloro. In bocca è fresco e pieno, con tannini croccanti, una buona spinta appena salina e un finale caldo e persistente. 

Al-Cantàra
Terre Siciliane La Fata Galanti 2017

92/100 - € 22

100% Nerello Cappuccio. Matura 14 mesi in barrique usate. Rosso rubino luminoso. Naso intrigante con garrique, il floreale della viola, liquirizia, cenere, sullo sfondo di marasca. Sorso morbido e carezzevole, dalla trama tannica elegante e buona lunghezza.

Planeta
Terre Siciliane Riesling Eruzione 1614 2020

97/100 - € 35,00

100% Riesling renano coltivate sull’Etna a 850 metri. Acciaio per 6 mesi. Paglierino intenso con riflessi verdolini. Molto varietale, con note nitide e raffinate di pompelmo e mandarino, pepe bianco, rosmarino, zenzero e lievi idrocarburi. Sapore fresco e salino, teso e dinamico, complesso e di piacevolissima bevibilità.

Calcagno
Etna Rosso Feudo di Mezzo 2020

94 € 30,00

90% Nerello Mascalese, 10% Nerello Cappuccio. Botti da 20 hl per 12 mesi. Rubino scarico con tenui riflessi granato. Naso fine di mora, amarena, ciliegia, fiori in infusione, note speziate e sottili sentori lavico-terrosi. In bocca è molto fresco, equilibrato, setoso nella parte tannica e decisamente lungo.

Some details:

The area planted with vines on Etna has increased from 680 hectares in 2013, claimed by 203 producers, to 1184 hectares in 2021 divided among 390 vine growers, for an average of less than one hectare per winery, and with only seven realities exceeding twenty hectares: a highly parceled territory, with soil and climate differences changing within a few kilometers. 

Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio for red, rosé and sparkling wines, Carricante and, to a lesser extent, Catarratto for white wines are the local grape varieties most widely used for Etna Doc wines. Etna Rosso is still the standard-bearer of the denomination with nearly 1,500,000 bottles, a 27 percent growth over 2021, followed by Etna Bianco with about 1,210,000 equal to a 37 percent increase, and Etna Rosato with 453,500 bottles that had a +50 percent jump. 

At least until 2024, claims for new vineyards to Etna Doc are blocked. 

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