Region: Sicily, Italy

Varietal: 90% Nerello Mascalese, 10% Nerello Cappuccio

Tasting Notes: Nerello Mascalese is as capable of producing robust, tannic wines as it is able to give delicate reds of great elegance. This Nerello from Grottafumata, on the southern face of Etna, falls in the latter camp, with low alcohol and vivid flavors of red fruit. The hints of cracked pepper, smoke, and sour cherry come into perfect focus with a nice chill, making this vibrant red the ideal substitute for a cru Beaujolais when you’re leaning more Italian.

Producer: Grottafumata means “smoky caves,” named for the caves formed by a nearby river that has eaten through the lava and the smoke from naturally occurring sulfur in the lava that steams up from the caves. Mauro and Mariangela have won many awards for their olive oil in Italy. It is an incredible all-around oil—herbaceous and savory with a light touch and it tends to go well with everything. Grottafumata currently makes one white and one red from the Monte Ilice contrada. Though their wines could take the Etna Bianco and Rosso DOC, Mauro and Mariangela have not sought the designation so as to work as naturally, dynamically, and independently as possible outside of the complex Italian wine bureaucracy. 

Vineyard & Winemaking: Their wine project is on the opposite eastern slope of Mount Etna, the historic principal zone of wine production on Mount Etna. Zafferana is the name of this area, named after the abundant yellow ginestra flowers that grow here (“zaffro” is yellow in Arabic). This area of Etna is close to Catania and also the closest part of Etna to the Mediterranean Sea. The contrada where their vines are located is called Monte Ilice, situated between the towns of Trecastagni and Zafferana Etnea. Monte Ilice is an absolutely incredible slope, due east, that rises at least at a 45-degree angle, high on the slopes of Etna at 700 to 840 meters above sea level. Grottafumata works 1.4 hectares here, along with the help of the landowner who is in his eighties and still works the vines with his brother. Many of the vines are franchi di piede (planted on their own rootstock) and up to 100 years old.