2025 Tenuta della Terre Nere, Etna Rosato DOC, Sicily, Italy.
This beautifully light coppery/salmon Tenuta della Terre Nere Etna Rosato is mineral intense, delicate on the briskly dry palate, with crushed strawberry, sour cherry, spicy raspberry water, ruby citrus and saline rich wet stone. Subtly volcanic flinty notes and a faint floral element add to the unique nature here. Made 100% in stainless steel the Rosato is all from organic grapes, 90% Nerello Mascalese and 10% Nerello Cappuccio, produced from 25-60 years old vines. Unlike the top reds here, these grapes, picked early to be Rosé were sourced, as importer Skurnik notes, across vineyards of the Terre Nere estate, and include vineyards in the townships of Randazzo and Castiglione di Sicilia, all up 600 to 900 meters on volcanic soils. This Etna Rosato is, like the other entry level bottlings here, joyous for it’s polish, precise detail and clarity, while there is more serious stuff from Etna, especially the cru reds, such as Passopisciaro, Salvo Foti, Benanti, Gulfi and Tornatore to name a few, as well as Terre Nere’s cru offerings, this basic wine delivers everything you’d want from a wine of this price. It’s well noted that Tenuta della Terre Nere’s owner Marc de Grazia was one of the modern pioneers of the Etna and was he among the first producers to recognize the individual distinction of these once-forgotten, ancient terroirs, set on the lava rock terraces, he also was the first producer to bottle them separately. This Rosato can be enjoyed on its on, or as an aperitif, and it holds up nicely to a range of food, I highly recommend it with Mediterranean style sea food dishes.
I’ve long been a fan of Marc de Grazia’s selection of imported Italian wines and his name on the label usually meant you were getting the best of the region, it was only later that I discovered his Etna project, Tenuta Della Terre Nere, a winery that profoundly changed my views on Sicilian wines are started my love affair with Nerello Mascalese and drove to deep dive into the Island’s wines.Tenuta Delle Terre Nere is a clean and modern style winery with grapes all coming from the cooler northern side of Etna on volcanic soils and includes vines from multiple plots that are between 5 and 50 years old. Nerello Mascalese is one of the hottest grapes on earth right now and, as I’ve said before, these Mount Etna reds are considered some of Italy’s greatest wines now, being likened to Burgundy in graceful class and transparency. Terre Nere has a great selection of single site parcels, these Crus known locally as “Contrade(s)” and make individual wines from them, much in the same way you see in Burgundy, similar to places like Nuits-Saint-Nuits, all based on historic boundaries and quality, and this wine is a region blend mostly from around the township of Castiglione di Sicilia at high elevation and on sloping hillsides formed by the ever present and very active volcano. Mostly known for the reds, Terre Nere also does a lovely white and this ultra pale, bone dry Rosé too, and it is certainly not a cool, crisp and delicious wine that I would want to miss! Thanks to Piper and the team at Vin wine bar in Carmel by the Sea for being gracious hosts and providing an excellent array of By the Glass options, especially this one.
($28 Est.) 91 Points, grapelive