Etna Rosso Selezione Speciale
$1.00
| Country | Italy |
|---|---|
| Region | Sicily |
| Producer | Rinazzu |
| Size | 750mL |
| Style | Red |
| Practices | Organic |
| Grapes | Nerello Cappuccio, Nerello Mascalese |
| Other Features | Vegan, Indigenous yeasts, Natural |
80% Nerello Mascalese and 20% Nerello Cappuccio, a variety mainly grown around Mount Etna. The grapes come from 20 and 40 year old vines planted in Contrada Moganazzi in Castiglione di Sicilia, a village on the north face of Mt. Etna – about 650 meters (2130 feet) above sea level. They are harvested mid-October. Fermented in stainless steel tanks and aged for about 12 months in 225 and 500 liter barrels. Light filtration at bottling. Only small doses of sulfites are added during vinification and at bottling. 13.5% alcohol.
About the Producer
Rinazzu is our new exciting project with Salvo Foti. Each wine is exclusively produced from indigenous grape varieties, specific to the Etna vineyard. The name "rinazzu" refers to the volcanic ash that periodically rains from Etna onto local villages. These "showers" can last hours or days; they are an intrinsic part of life on the mountain, creating and nourishing the unique terroir of Etna. The label depicts the famous volcano, with its smoke becoming a grape bunch.
With a single mind, Salvo made it his mission to preserve the great Alberello (“little tree”) trained vines of Etna - trained up on stakes (Salvo favors chestnut posts), as in ancient Greece, and planted on stone terraces. The Romans taught the Siciliani to plant these stakes in a pattern of 5 called a Quincunx. Salvo has also been a big promoter of the old wineries called Palmento; these gravity-fed stone structures were outlawed for winemaking by the EU but winemakers like Salvo are keeping this ancient tradition alive. Salvo isn’t just an academic preservationist. He has been making wines under his own label and consulting with the top wineries of Etna for years, in many instances being the founding winemaker. Leader of the natural wine movement in Etna, Salvo is now recognized for the fabulous quality and expression of the wines he produces. He is helped by his son Simone, who joined him after finishing school in Beaune.
Farming practices: organic. The vineyard is cultivated by hand and with natural products. Cultivation and vinification are carried out according to the lunar phases.
Return to the future. The volcano’s vineyards, island model - Gambero Rosso, October 2016
