September Wine Club
Introducing Mount Etna of Sicily!
This month we are very excited to present wines from a fascinating place that has captivated our interest for several reasons!
- Mount Etna is an active volcano with vineyards half a mile above sea level
- Volcanic soils helped vines survive the phylloxera epidemic
- The red grape that grows best on this soil, and almost no where else, is called Nerello Mascalese
Mount Etna is an active volcano that releases vapors and ash on the vineyards scattered around its base. Despite the threat of lava flows (that don’t quite reach vineyards), there are a handful of producers that celebrate the unique terroir and grapes of this place. The climate here is mostly arid and windy with just the right amount of rainfall, which means organic practice is easier to achieve here than in wetter climates.
Volcanic soil is interesting for several reasons, but the main reason that we want to focus on is its porosity. Porous soil is oxygenated, which makes it difficult for the phylloxera louse to survive because it prefers oxygen-poor soils, such as clay. What is phylloxera? It’s a vine louse from the United States that spread throughout most vineyards in all of Europe in the late 1800’s, wiping out vines in affected areas and devastating the wine industry for years. This was a huge deal for the entire wine producing and drinking world. The cure for phylloxera arrived from the United States as well. It was found that vineyards could be replanted and be safe from infestation if every single new vine was grafted onto American vine rootstock. That means that nearly every wine you drink from Europe is partly American in origin!
There are a couple of places where phylloxera never quite took hold, and these are referred to as pre-phylloxera vineyards and vines. To us, it’s a pretty big deal, because that means that the vines are completely established in their own terroir, and they have been planted and propagated by more traditional means. One of the wines that you will be drinking is partially composed of grapes from these vines!
The grape varietal that we are focusing on this month is Nerello Mascalese. In the last couple of decades, wine producers around Etna have started to compare their wines in style to Burgundy. One reason for this is that Nerello Mascalese is similar to Pinot Noir in some aspects, like being lighter colored and lighter bodied. It can also express a wide range of aromas and flavors depending on where it’s grown and how it’s produced. It has the ability to age quite well, as you will discover in the 10 year old vintage you will be receiving!
Other main unique grapes grown in this region include Nerello Cappuccio (which is present in the Etna Rosso) and Carricante, a white varietal that you may have the opportunity to try at one of our other tasting events this month!
The Wines: Nerello Mascalese from Two Neighbors 6 Kilometers from Each Other
Nerello Mascalese Vigne Vecchie ’11 from Azienda Agricola Calabretta
Azienda Agricola Calabretta is located in the vicinity of Randazza, and the Calabretta family has owned their vineyards for over 100 years. Many of their vines are actually pre-phylloxera vines! The 2011 Nerello Mascalese includes grapes from a blend of pre- and post-phylloxera from 70–80 year old vines.
Calabretta is owned by cousins Massimo and Massimilano, who inherited the family vineyard together. They are practicing organic on their 7 hectare farm, where olive trees and fruit trees have been interplanted throughout their vineyards. Encouraging a variety of plants to grow alongside grape vines gives possible pests another source of food besides grapevines, and helps to create a microclimate favorable to the plants growing there.
The Vigne Vecchie (which means Old Vines) is aged in large Slavonian oak barrels for several years, which allows the wine to slowly reduce and oxidize without any imparting of oak flavor. This is a traditional method borrowed from mostly outdated Barolo winemaking practices in the Piedmont region.
This wine is excellent out of the bottle, but you can also decant it if you want to watch it develop over time! Alternatively, you can choose to let it age quite a bit longer.
If you would like to try other wines from Calabretta, come and sample the Gaio Gaio Nerello Mascalese from young vines! It’s much lighter and more casual than the Vigne Vecchie. It’s featured on our Sicilian Wine Flight this month.
2018 Etna Rosso from Tenuta della Terre Nere
Tenuta della Terre Nere is operated by American-born Tuscan winemaker Marc De Grazia. Convinced that Mount Etna needed to be taken seriously by the wine world, he purchased vineyards in 2004, and he now owns up to 57 acres, though not all are planted. Three of his plots are Cru vineyards, and one plot consists of pre-phylloxera grapes.
The 2018 Etna Rosso is a blend of Nerello Mascalese and some Nerello Cappuccio grapes from young vines throughout all the vineyards in his estate. The vines are between 600 and 900 meters above sea level. The wine is aged in large French oak barrels for 16 months, followed by one month in stainless steel.
The Etna Rosso is drinking well now, but you can also lay this one down for a few more years in a cool, dark, dry place!
If you’re interested in other wines from Tenuta della Terre Nere, we currently carry their 2020 Etna Rosato, which is a gorgeous and delicate rose composed of the same grapes as the Rosso. We don’t currently carry any of their Cru wines yet, but we might in the future!
Marc De Grazia also has a side project with adjacent vineyards called Le Vigne di Eli, and we will be serving his Bianco (made with Carricante and Catarratto) and the Rosso (98% Nerello Mascalese, 2% Nerello Cappuccio) during one of our tasting events this month!
