ETNA DOC
Mt. Etna rises 10,900 ft above the island of Sicily. It is the largest active volcano in Europe.
The most recent major eruption was in 1992 but there have been minor outbursts as recently as 2019. This volcano could still blow anytime but the residents just deal with it and go about their lives.
Etna DOC is fashioned somewhat like the “cru” demarcations in Burgundy. Within the DOC there are “communes”. Communes are areas of land surrounding a village or town with the name of the town, i.e. Linguaglossa.
Within the communes are “contrade”, which is a southern Italian word for parcels of established vineyard land.
Each commune & contrade has its own nuances and identities.
One of the differences in these vineyard areas is in the aromatics of the wines. Some are floral, some are more earthy.
If this helps, we will compare this to that of California.
Sicily is a main region. California is a main region.
The commune in Sicily would be akin to Napa Valley in California.
The contrade in the commune would be akin to Oakville appellation in Napa.
We are just narrowing our focus down from a general wide scope to a narrow specific sense of place. Does that help?
I have included this new map of the Etna DOC to show how the vineyards are laid out around the volcano. It also details the individual “contrades”.
Yes, it is in Italian but don't get lost in the language differences. This is a new initiative to categorize the Contrades and produce an updated map.
I feel this makes it easier to understand Etna DOC wine labels & the size of the various vineyards. Much like the cru’s of Burgundy.
The price of these wines will be higher than regular DOC wines.
Smaller sized vineyards, low grape yields, hand harvesting, the use of oak, and a full hands-on approach to the winemaking process creates higher prices for the wines.
All this extra attention manifests into a higher quality wine for reds and whites.
I think the French influence is very strong in the production of Sicilian wines. This makes sense in that for many years, Sicily’s best customer was the French as they would use the Sicilian wine to add some structure to light vintages.
The vineyards planted on Mt. Etna between 1300 & 5000 ft. are ideal for producing wine. The balance of hot days and cool nights are ideal for grape development.
Altitude can force the vines roots to dig deeper into the soil to obtain nutrients. The struggle with nature strengthens the vines and creates more character in the wines.
The volcanic soil is extremely fertile. One importer told me there are vines on Mt. Etna that are over 150 yrs old. Good growing conditions and rich nutrient soils sustain the vines much longer than normal. Mt. Etna is the fountain of youth for plants and grapevines. Fruits and vegetables are exceptional too!
Nerello Mascalese
The major red grape of Etna DOC is Nerello Mascalese. It is the second most cultivated grape in Sicily.
Every Nerello Mascalese wine I have had the pleasure of tasting has been quite amazing. I just love them.
I get dried cherry and cranberry flavors, a little bit of tobacco and savory herbs. As with most Italian wines, there is that great balanced acidity.
Mt. Etna gives it minerality and gentle earthiness. It all comes together nicely with a soft full-flavored finish.
I didn’t know anything about this grape until about 4 years ago. It was just Etna Rosso and I didn't know or care what the grapes were. Once I learned about the grape and better understood the terrior of Mt. Etna vines, I was turned on to a whole new pleasurable experience.
In my opinion, I think Nerello Mascalese is the closest thing to the great wines of Burgundy I have tasted.
They have this strength & complexity but are not overpowering.
They have great balance of fruit & acidity. They are dry, earthy & extremely food friendly.
There is this depth, this multi-dimensional component, that requires contemplative sips from the glass.
This is the quality in a wine I embrace a great deal, Contemplatively!
When you are drinking a wine and you have to stop and look at the glass and your mind says "Wow, this is good stuff"!
Then you get this feeling of gratitude that you are able to taste this delicious wine on your own terms.
It's kind of "geeky" but if you give it a try, you might know exactly what I am talking about.
One Sicilian producer said he thought Nerello Mascalese has the qualities of Burgundy (Pinot Noir) and a young Barolo- (Nebbiolo) from Piedmont.
I was so happy to hear that, as that is what I thought. I have always considered Nebbiolo to be similar to Pinot Noir.
Etna Rosso starts around the mid $30’s and goes up.
However, compared to French Burgundy, this is a very good price.
I’m not saying they are identical flavor profiles, I'm saying they have much in common and the price is good for the quality of the wine.
The single vineyard "contrades" will start in the $45 range.
These examples of two Etna Rosso's will guide you in purchasing Etna Rosso wines.
On the left is Etna Rosso produced by Calcaneus wines. It is Etna DOC. Vines from on the mountain vineyards. Nireddu is the name the producers give to the wine.
The one on the right is produced by Tenuta Delle Terre Nere. It too is an Etna Rosso. However, the grapes of this wine come from the "contrade" of Santo Spirito.
The Santo Spirito wine will cost more because it is from select vineyard area and has smaller production.
The Nireddu was excellent. Being 6yrs old was great. (80yr. old vines) Probably would last 10 more years if I had the patience.
Looking forward to opening the Terre Nere and the Santo Spirito contrade.
Nerello Cappuccio-
There is another red grape that is often blended with the Nerello Mascalese and it is known as Nerello Cappuccio.
Nerello Cappuccio is nothing special on its own. It is added to the Etna Rosso to give the wine more color.
I think it is interesting that the grape isn’t produced as a single varietal but yet has enough of something special to have it blended with Nerello Mascalese into an Etna Rosso.
Perhaps there is a secret here and I will investigate further.
Carricante-
The main white grape of Etna DOC is Carricante. The second most used white grape is Catarratto, which we wrote about in the first chapter on Sicilian white wines.
A minimum of 60% of Etna Bianco must be Carricante, with the balance usually being Catarratto but other grapes are allowed.
Bianco Superiore is higher in alc.& comes only from the Milo Commune. No aging requirements. Same blend as the regular Bianco except minimum of 80% Carricante.
Carricante has higher yields and is a late ripening grape. It’s not unusual to be sitting on the vines in late September.
The flavor profile can be apples, pears, citrus, floral, bright acidity with minerality too! Sounds delicious!
These would be similar flavor profiles to many Sicilian Biancos.
The difference here is these wines come from the slopes of Mt. Etna. The same factors I mentioned earlier about the influence of the mountain on the red grape Nerello Mascalese, apply to the white grapes too.
The mountain environment develops more character in the grapes and into the wines made from those grapes. Of course the other factor in great wine is the winemaking. The winemaking would have to be pretty terrible to ruin the potential the Etna DOC offers.
Lots of really good winemaking happening here in Etna DOC.
You need to get some of this wine!
