Tenuta delle Terre Nere Etna Bianco 2021

Varieties: Carricante, Catarratto

Region: Sicily

Appellation: Etna Bianco

Tenuta delle Terre Nere is a young estate owned by the experienced wine afficionado Marco de Grazia, its first commercial vintage being the 2002. Starting off with one parcel of old goblet vines in the Vigneto Guardiola, Marco has now increased his holdings to a total of five parcels in the Guardiola and Calderara vineyards. There is one vine variety growing on the estate, Nerello Mascalese, which is indigenous to Sicily. Its fabulous old bush vines, the majority of which are pre-Phylloxera, are planted on the rocky and sandy volcanic soils on the north face of Mount Etna at 800 to 900 metres above sea level.

“All from old vines. And, somehow, it works. A perfectly lovely wine. With the effortless uplift of a dancer, it allows me to let it go freely through life, malo included, without it ever losing its bright demeanor and lively step. Deviously drinkable, still it always clings, leaving one wondering how it delights and where do the goodies come from. In aging, the noblesse of the Etna and its remarkable terroir emerge. And the loveliness turns thoughtful and deepens, still graceful, never redundant. Fish, meat or fowl, all are fine, if very gently cooked. It loves seafood, particularly over pasta: after all, it is Sicilian.”