Acclaim

“The 2016 Etna Rosso Contrada Rampante shows girth and power to the mid-palate. This is a dense and fleshed-out red wine from Etna made with fruit from 90-year-old vines. However, like other expressions from this vintage, I found there to be a lot of immediate intensity up front, with less persistence and fiber in the long run. This seems to be a shared characteristic of 2016. Some 5,000 bottles were made.” -Monica Larner, Wine Advocate, Dec. 31, 2018

“The 2016 Etna Rosso Contrada Santo Spirito shows some of the difficulty of the vintage with a mild and slightly subdued approach. This wine might flesh out with more time in the bottle, but I’m afraid that the inner fiber of the vintage is just weaker overall. This is a great choice for near or medium-term drinking. The wine is loaded with forest berry, tar, smoke and licorice. Some 5,000 bottles were released.” -Monica Larner, Wine Advocate, Dec. 31, 2018

EDITORS’ CHOICE “Smooth and seductive, this offers aromas of wild berry, blue flower, dark spice, crushed rock and a whiff of Mediterranean brush. The polished, savory palate doles out juicy Morello cherry, strawberry, star anise and wild herb. Lithe tannins provide seamless support while bright acidity lends balance. Drink 2021–2028.” -Kerin O’Keefe, Wine Enthusiast, Dec. 31, 2018

“Here’s a new wine from Pietradolce that seeks to expand the parameters and potential of age-worthy white wine made on Etna. Most of the whites from the volcano are executed in a purely reductive style with a snappy, steely approach. The 2015 Sant’Andrea (made with pre-phylloxera Carricante vines that are up to 130 years old) offers a soft and oxidized approach instead. This full-bodied wine opens to a saturated, off-gold color. The bouquet is piled high with apricot, dried pineapple, honey and toasted almond. Fruit was selected, cluster by cluster from each vine, and fermented on the skins in a single oak cask. The wine was left to settle naturally and saw 18 months of bottle aging. There is a point of tannic astringency as a result, and you can taste that flavor intensity that comes from extended skin maceration. The finish is structured, dry and almost salty in favor. This wine should continue to evolve and flesh out over the next ten years. Only 1,800 bottles were made.” -Monica Larner, Wine Advocate, Dec. 31, 2018

“Here is a wine I always look forward to tasting. The 2015 Etna Rosso Barbagalli is made with extraordinary pre-phylloxera vines that range up to 120 years old. You definitely taste the rich concentration and focused aromatic intensity that is so unique to old vines. This wine is characterized by the very steady, slow-paced nature of its aromas that unfold with elegance and grace. Small forest berry is followed by licorice, tar and dried violets. To the palate, the wine is very firm, tightly knit and embroidered with lovely little details and nuances. The wine is aged in 700-liter oak casks (lightly toasted) for 20 months. Only 2,500 bottles were released.” -Monica Larner, Wine Advocate, Dec. 31, 2018

“Light notes of ash and pencil shaving open the bouquet of the 2017 Etna Bianco. This vintage does not have the depth or width of previous editions. However, it does show impressive aromatic precision and focus. Dried grass, crushed stone and citrus fruit emerge from the fresh and zesty bouquet. Some 9,000 bottles were produced. You get great value here.” -Monica Larner, Wine Advocate, Dec. 31, 2018

“Showing a pale pink color, the 2017 Etna Rosato is a true beauty. The bouquet virtually flutters with delicate tones of pink rose and lilac, followed by wild raspberry and red currant. The finish is reductive (the wine is made in stainless steel vats), tonic, pristine and salty in flavor. This is definitely my kind of Rosato. Some 8,000 bottles were made.” -Monica Larner, Wine Advocate, Dec. 31, 2018

“Simple and fine, the 2017 Etna Rosso by Pietradolce shows an elegant but approachable personality. You get small-berry aromas with smoke, ash and crushed stone. The mouthfeel is thin and compact, but those small-berry flavors do last. I’d suggest a pairing with thin crust pizza or easy pasta dishes at home. This is a pure expression of Nerello Mascalese aged in large oak casks for three months. Some 15,000 bottles were made.” -Monica Larner, Wine Advocate, Dec. 31, 2018

“This has inviting aromas of wild berry that mingle with whiffs of wet stone and Mediterranean scrub. The full-bodied, polished palate offers Marasca cherry, ground clove, cured meat and a smoky note alongside a hint of iron. Drink through 2023.” -Kerin O’Keefe, Wine Enthusiast, Dec. 31, 2018

“Creamy and medium-bodied, this lightly juicy white offers rich glazed apple and mirabelle plum notes, with delicate threads of spice, smoke and hazelnut winding through and lingering on the finish. Trebbiano Spoletino. Drink now through 2022.” –AN, Wine Spectator, Dec. 15, 2018