2019 Graci, Etna Rosso DOC, Arcurìa “Sopra il Pozzo” Mount Etna, Sicily, Italy.
A profound example of Mount Etna, and a top ten wine of the hear so far, this stunning and delicate ruby/garnet hued Graci Arcurìa, Nerello Mascalese, delivers a stylish, raw and layered medium bodied palate of mineral laced cherry, spiced plum, strawberry and red currant fruits, along with hints of volcano influenced red pepper flakes, flinty stones, seeped roses, pink peppercorn, leather and rosemary herbal essences. This transparent and complex offering is outstanding and seductive in the same way a top Burgundy is, but completely Mt. Etna Rosso in every facet of being and thrills from the first sip to hours later when you wish you still had more in the bottle. It was a pleasure, as noted in my previous review of Graci, over the course of a few days in New York and Chicago, to full explore he lineup of current releases of Graci and meet the winemaker Alberto Graci, who guided me through his selections with equal parts of intensity and patience. His Enta IGT Rosso Contrada Barbabecchi, an all Nerello Mascalese cuvée, is my favorite, but this Arcurìa Sopra il Pozzo is a very, very close second and the rest of lineup, including the whites are fabulous as well, these are wines not to miss. Coming from old vines of small yielding Nerello Mascalese high up on Mount Etna’s north side, the grapes are careful sorted and gently crushed with full de-stemming and macerated at cool temps, just from the natural conditions here, in cement vats, then after fermentation the wine is aged for 24 months in large chestnut wood Botti. This makes for a beautifully textured, pure varietal, terroir driven and sensual wine of clarity and rustic charm, it is a wine I love and highly recommend, even though it is not cheap.
The Graci winery, led by the talented Alberto Aiello Graci, is situated on the north slope of Mount Etna at Passopisciaro, which is located in a historical area where viticulture dates back several thousand years. Their vineyards sit at an altitude between 600 and 1,000 meters above sea level on the volcanic soils, getting the cooling influences and the mineral intensity of tis unique terroir on Europe’s most active volcano. Graci is very passionate about his region and in his respect for local traditions as well as the distinct nature of each vintage and only cultivates traditional varieties indigenous to Mount Etna. The red grapes here include Nerello Mascalese, the main focus of the winery, and Nerello Cappuccio, and white grapes, such as Carricante, that Graci believes is one of the world’s greatest white varietals, and Catarratto. The cellar work here is clearly non Intervention of any kind, whenever possible, with Alberto seeking the most natural expressions as he can. Graci says, as noted before, that some of the vineyard sites are 1,000 meters high, or about 3,300 feet, which is the upward limit at which Nerello can ripen, or the cooler North side of the Volcano, and is Interspersed with olive and apple trees, as well as birds, bees and bugs, that fill the air with what he calls an industrious series of chirps and hums. This is a place, he continues, where it’s possible to have a balance between elegance and rusticity, which is a sensation that is hard to find anywhere place else in the world. A big thank you to importer Massanois, who was gracious enough to let me have so much access to Graci and his wines. I was impressed, again with the while collection from Graci, and I must say also the whites, especially the Graci 2023 Etna Bianco Muganazzi, all Carricante, are almost equally amazing to the reds.
($145 Est.) 96 Points, grapelive