We have recently tried three Etna wines in three colours and two exciting Petnats from Tuscany.
All these wines are imported to Sweden by Vinonista but are also available in other countries.
“BKWine Tastes.” It is a collection of wines we have tasted recently. It is often samples that producers have sent us to show us what they do or other bottles that we have come across at tastings or on our tasting table in the office.
White, rosé, and red from Etna producer Cantina Calcagno
Cantina Calcagno is a fairly new producer, as it has been producing its own wine since 2006. But the vineyards have been in the family for a long time. Brothers Franco and Gianni inherited them from their grandfather. They now run the estate together with Gianni’s daughter, Giusy. The vineyards are located at an altitude of between 650 and 850 meters. The family mixes tradition with a certain amount of experimentation.
White wine
Ginestra 2021, Cantina Calcagno, Etna Blanco, Etna, Sicily
The grape is carricante, which gives a wine with a charming and personal character, a high and fresh acidity, a good body and mouth feel. It is flavourful with aromas such as apricot, peach, and white flowers. Delicious. The grapes grow on the eastern side of Etna and in a single vineyard called Contrada Volpari (contrada is like a single vineyard). Fermentation and short ageing occur in stainless steel tanks (~25 euro).
Rosé
Romice delle Sciare 2021, Etna Rosato, Cantigna Calcagno, Etna, Sicily
Delicious, dry rosé. Cherry and citrus aromas, structured with some tannins. Excellent wine with great flavours and complexity. Franco, the winemaker, makes this rosé from old vines between 70 and 90 years old. The grape is nerello mascalese. The grapes grow on the north side of Etna. The harvest is quite late for a rosé wine, in the first half of October (~25 euro)
Red wine
Etna Rosso DOC 2019, Cantina Calcagno, Etna, Sicily
Light in colour but with a fantastic flavour intensity of red berries, relatively smooth at the end with cherry aromas and some structure. Delicious wine. Made from nerello mascalese grapes from very old vines at an altitude of 650 meters. Aged for 12 months in small, old oak barrels. (~25 euro)
Feudo di Mezzo 2018 Etna Rosso, Cantina Calcagno, Etna, Sicily
Intense and complex wine made of nerello mascalese and nerello cappuccino. These are very old vines growing in the well-known Contrada Feudo di Mezzo. Aged 12 months in 2000-litre oak barrels (~35 euro)
Petnat – light bubbly from Fattoria Sardi in Tuscany
Fattoria Sardi is an organic vineyard in Tuscany, a few kilometres from the beautiful town of Lucca. The vineyard area is 18 hectares, but the estate has 45 hectares in total. It is filled with forests, olive trees, apple trees, and a great diversity of different flowers and plants.
For these two petnats, the juice begins a spontaneous fermentation in stainless steel tanks and then the wine is bottled and finishes the fermentation in the bottle. The result is a naturally sparkling wine. The sediment from the fermentation remains in the bottles as the wine is not filtered or disgorged. No added sulfites.
Fattoria Sardi Pet-Nat Rosé, Vino Frizzante, IGT Toscana
A light bubbly (11%) with a fresh taste of red berries. It feels very much like a natural wine, and I find it delicious. The grapes are trebbiano and moscato d’amburgo, which gives the colour and the refreshing fruit (~20 euro)
Fattoria Sardi Pet-Nat Bianco, Vino Frizzante, IGT Toscana
Nose and taste of green apples, very refreshing, high acidity, very dry and easy-drinking summer wine from the trebbiano grape. Pleasant (~20 euro)
