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Why is it that every interesting, high-acid red-producing region is the, Burgundy, of its country. Why must we compare everything to Burgundy, as though the overpriced, tired, often drab Pinots they push at the rest of the world have some sort of value far and above less expensive, up-and-coming regions?
We often complain about the invasion of Chardonnay, and Cabernet Sauvignon, then in the next breath compare Campania to Chablis, or Valdepusa to Médoc. No wonder these genocidal conquistadors of the vine-world spent the nineties executing undesirables with skid loaders.
This isn’t as big of an annoyance as I make it seem, the plantings of Chardonnay, Pinot and Cabernet are depleting in favor of indigenous grapes in many parts of the world, while managing to still gain a foothold in new wine regions, where they are producing delightful new flavors. But I still hate stuffing wine regions like Mount Etna into the fold of Burgundy, when arguably, Mount Etna makes some higher-quality wines at drastically lower prices.
If you’ve read my columns before, you’re probably aware that I care little for but a few well-respected names in Burgundy, and prefer to value-shop for wines - and lowest price doesn’t always mean best-value, or at least, that’s what I was told when I was selling cars, and I’m sticking to it.
So let's gander in amazement at the region of Mount Etna as I introduce you to, or perhaps further your knowledge of, its superstar Etna Rosso. Despite my gripes, Etna does share a lot of similarities with Burgundy, the wines are light, brick red, with sharper acidity, and soft strawberry flavors. But that’s about where the similarities end. A good bottle of Etna Rosso can be had for under twenty dollars and is drinkable right away, by comparison, a decent village wine from even the cheapest Cru of Santenay, or Fixin, is going to run you up over forty dollars these days, and you may even need to sit on it a few years.
The Etna Rosso Region is turning out some charmers, at great value, with Burgundy-level complexity. Mount Etna is located on the east side of the island, nearly directly in the middle of the island. Wine has been made here for a very long time. The region was even a major supplier of wine for the Roman Empire, at one point in its history.
The region that produces Etna Rosso, along with its counterpart, Etnas Rosato and Bianco, surrounds the base of the volcano strewn around clockwise from about the eleven o’clock to eight o’clock. Interestingly, Mount Etna is the largest volcano in Europe, rising 3300m, and is still shockingly active. In fact, minor eruptions change the PH of the soil to this day.
A series of eruptions beginning with the major 1947 eruption of mount Etna, lead to decreased wine production in the region. Some vineyards were wiped out, some vintners sold their vines, and still others just quit producing, fleeing the relatively consistent eruptions for the safety of the westerly bits of the island. Those that were left suffered the scourge of Phylloxera in the fifties, that, after decimating wine production in neighboring France, made its way south to Sicily, which once supplied France during its strenuous outbreaks some years earlier.
It was’t until the seventies that production really began to kick up again. Sicilian growers turned to Phylloxera-resistant strains of French grapes, Merlot, and Cabernet. Unbeknownst at the time, because of the numerous eruptions, the soil was actually Phylloxera resistant itself. Some of the latter generations of winemaking families that once inhabited the area, began to return to check on their property and start anew.
The lava had stopped, and the volcano once again seemingly shuttered temporarily, leaving lava deposits hardened in various vineyards, resulting in mineral sand, gravel, and soapstone soils. Wines were regarded as tough, tannic, unappealing; over-ripe, and were generally made from poor clones. Despite the uptick of poor-quality wines made from French grapes, the Government of Italy opted to award the region with a DOC for its traditional Narello-based wines in 1968. Etna Rosso DOC was established just nine months before the much more popular Sicilian region at the time, Marsala.
This was a bit of a surprise, because Narello was a fairly obscure grape at the time. The DOC itself requires the wine to be made of eighty percent Nerello Mascalese, and twenty percent Nerello Cappuccino. Around ten percent of regional white grapes for flavor is also allowed. The alcohol levels must be twelve and a half percent ABV, or thirteen percent for Riserva labeled wines.
Nerello Mascalese provides the majority of the flavor, its a juicy red-flavor grape that generally manifests as strawberry and watermelon, sometimes boysenberry, with good structure, and minerality. The best examples are well balanced with refreshing acidity. Attitudes towards this grape have changed with time, Jancis Robinson, MW called it a table grape barely suitable for blending in the original edition of the Oxford Companion. She has since revised the entry to praise its flavor. A lot of this is likely due to the poor reputation of Sicily and lack of suitable winemaking techniques in the region during the eighties.
Narello Cappuccino is the other typical blending grape for this wine, making generally only twenty percent of the blend per DOC regulations. Cappuccino is regarded as a table grape when compared with Mascalese, though it is used to heighten the acidity due to its later ripening nature. It has less flavor and is generally bit more subtle adding creaminess, and more cherry flavor.
In regards to Terroir, the region is recognized as having one of the most diverse and interesting mixes of soil due to the volcano. The temperature at altitude is also known to fluctuate by day and night. Nights are very cold, especially around 800m, where the majority of plantings are located. This gives the wines a residual acidity, similar to Pinot Noir, though the temperatures are far more consistent in Burgundy.
Furthermore, the temperature drops significantly in the harvest months of September and October. This means that ripening becomes more difficult, though the exposure to the sun aids still in the ripening process. Picking is generally completed in late October, early November due to this heavy decline in temperature. Frost can also be a concern up in the higher elevations.
Due to cloud cover, sunlight is not direct in nearly any of the Crus, know as Contrada, regionally. Sunlight is diffused across the mountain due to cloud cover, and water vapor, so heat dispersal is fairly consistent in each of the parcels. The sunlight warms the leaves, surrounding all sides during the summers, though some elevations don’t have the heat retention for even sunlight exposure to make much of a difference. Because of this, and the higher altitudes, it takes some Contrada until early December to be ready for picking.
There are one hundred and thirty-three Contrada around the base of Mount Etna. Some of them are used for Etna Rosso, others for the selection of white and Rosato wines. The main seven are the ones we will focus on because they demonstrate the variability of the soil in the region. Again, this variability is the result of the volcano’s sporadic involvement in the Terroir.
Major Contrada include, Caldera Sottano, Rampante, San Lorenzo; Sciaranouva, Acuria, Monte Sierra; and the coveted Porciaria. The most pressing difference between a growth Classé in France, and a Contrada here in Sicily, is much like the word Terroir, the latter word is more nuanced including elevation and practicality of harvest with use of the soil. It also lets the local vintners know the mineral content of the soil, and what sequence of the last eruption the till is.
Caldera Sottano is the rockiest Contrada bar none. the majority of this appellation lies at around 650m above sea level. Here the stones are fresh pumice from the volcano, with underlying rich dirt and gravel formed from the lava. The soil content is mineral but not as calcareous as some of the other Contrada. It is generally a Rosso producing Contrada.
Rampante is the largest of the Contrada located on about the five o'clock bank of Etna. Rampante has fast draining soils and all-day exposure to the sun, leading to faster ripening grapes generally, but the highest points here are at an elevation of 1000m, slowing the ripening of the grapes significantly in the last two months. It is a highly desirable area for growers.
San Lorenzo is a bedrock zone around mount Etna. This Contada was heavily affected by the last volcanic eruption, and it has only been a few decades since is was last tilled. The region has extremely new soil, and, along with that, some fairly new vies as well. Vineyards here are at about 800m above sea level, which is average from the area. Sunlight exposure comes diffused from the clouds, but is fairly consistent with the other Contrada.
Girolamo Russo is one of the few producers who bottles single-contrada wines. This gem is a tricky one to find. Only a few hundred cases are made realistically in any given year. The current vintage is the 2019, and it really is a magnum opus for this producer - listed as a premium selection by top wine writers. It opens with mineral smoke, characteristic of tar and burning sage. these aromas fold nicely into an earthiness of seared mushroom and prosciutto. There is a funkiness of cave-ripened brie, and top tones of underripe cherry, stewed strawberry and dry apricot. This is one of the most expressive wines I've ever tasted, and will intensify with age.
Sciaranouova has relatively new soil as well albeit about two hundred years old in most places. This Contrada lies just to the west of San Lorenzo, and shares its altitude at 850 feet. Sunlight here is sparse, and diffused, Narello Cappuccino is a more common planting here, ripening often into December.
Acuria is one of the more interesting growths, as its soils contain the highest amount of mineral density. It has non-calcareous soil, that boasts very generous nitrogen levels. This keeps the plants extremely healthy, and it is very easy to grow about anything here. The PH is also neutral, which is odd for volcanic soil. This is an older soil bank of mostly gravel and silt. As you’re probably familiar, wines from mineral soils generally reflect poorer quality wines because the vines don't struggle, but because here in Acuria the soil is well draining, low altitude, only 660m on average, this tends to be an exception to the rule, vines do struggle here, and the terroir is strongly reflected, with a nice bit of pungent slate minerality.
Monte Serra has extremely rich soil as well, minerals here even glisten in the diffused sunlight it receives. This area is on the southwest of the volcano at about seen o’clock. Sunlight is spread over this area in the afternoon, less so in the mornings. The soil here is older and sandy. It’s good draining, and makes pleasant whites, but also some nice reds. Soil here often suffers subacid reaction, which make the wines bitter, this is due to a low water table.
Porciaria, the most well renown and sought after Contrada. it is about 650m above sea level, one of the lower-lying on average. Its soil is fresh volcanic silt, a very thin layer, frail at that. Underneath is typical gravel. The minerals here are good, and the drainage is fine, but this region produces some exciting reds that are both earthy, and mineralic.
If you are looking for a recommendation for a fabulous example to try of one of Etna’s fine Rosso wines, I’d look for Pietradulce. It’s a mixed Contrada appellate made mostly in Rampante, where the winery is, about 1000m above sea level. Winemaker Michele Faro was one major player in the renaissance of good wines here in Sicily. The wine is sharp, interesting, with crimson cherry flavor, a bit of soupy strawberry and some kids of ash, rosewood, brass, and gunpowder. Its delightfully naive, interesting, easy-drinking, and kind to the senses, yet intellectual and subdued in youth. It’s not very Burgundian, but it certainly is very Etna.
That’s all,
~K