2023 Tenuta delle Terre Nere Etna Rosso

Made from very fine Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio from low yielding vineyards (35 Hl. Per hectar), both young and old. The grapes are macerated until the end of fermentation. The wine then continues its life in wood until bottled roughly one year after harvest. Even young it is a distinguished wine. Fresh, fragrant, beautifully slender and with a fine grip, it has a natural polish, a stage presence, as it were. And, in aging, as its weave gathers into rich complexity, it is a wine for gentlemen. It is an aristocratically liberal wine: enjoy it with whatever food you wish, as long as its properly cooked.

About the producer
The estate is located on the northern slopes of the volcano, with vineyards between the village of Solicchiata and the town of Randazzo, the area historically recognized as the finest in the appellation for fine red wines. The property consists of over 30 hectares, divided into 10 parcels in four crus, with a total vineyard surface of 23 hectares. Except for 6 hectares recently planted, the vines of the rest are between 50 and 100 years old. The vines of one parcel, having survived phylloxera, have reached the venerable age of 130-140 years old.

Four parcels lie in Calderara Sottana at an elevation of 600-700 metres. By far the rockiest cru in the appellation, in the roughest parts you can’t see the soil for the black volcanic pumice carpeting the vineyards.
Two vineyards lie in Guardiola, between 800 and 900 metres altitude, on very poor soil: volcanic sand mixed with basaltic pebbles and traces of ash.

Two more properties lie in Feudo di Mezzo. Very old vines, also terraced, traditional alberello plantings, very tightly spaced, also worked exclusively by hand. Loose deep volcanic ash roughed up by a good measure of small volcanic pebbles.

Two vineyards lie in Santo Spirito.
Besides estate owned vineyards, Terre Nere has long term leases on 4 hectares and buys grapes from small local vignerons who follow organic procedures. All the wines are produced from local varieties, and all are D.O.C. Etna. Two versions of Etna Bianco are produced.