Etna wines have shot to fame in the last few decades. The wines from this still-active volcano are sought out by wine lovers all over the world. It is a small wine region, only 1200 hectares, so it is not always easy to lay your hands on a bottle. Wine has been grown on the slopes of the mountain since time immemorial, but Tenuta delle Terre Nere is young, established in 2002. Despite its short existence it has become one of the leading producers on the volcano. BKWine Magazine’s Sven-Olof Johansson went to taste and explore the wines of this highly regarded producer.
Three out of six guests at a dinner table claimed that they only drank Italian wines. One of them so convincing that she closed her eyes as the drops from Tuscany slid almost imperceptibly over the edge of the expensive crystal glass. On the polished surface of the glass, traces of a pair of beautifully painted lips stuck. The tributes at this table were all about sangiovese but last week’s dinner with the boys was about nothing but nebbiolo from Piedmont.
There is a certain charm in peer pressure and collective discovery, but the question is whether you who dare to take a couple of steps outside the beaten path will not have a more exciting experience. Or rather, take the boat over to Sicily and be met by nerello mascalese with its beauty and power.
Etna Rosso has received a nice boost in the last decade. Traction of column meters of tributes with the backing of producers sharpening their products. On Etna’s north side, there were six producers in operation in 2000, which today has increased to 160 active producers. The area has also increased, but not at all to the same extent. From just under 700 hectares seven years ago to 1,200 ha, DOC, today. Everything on Etna’s north side cannot be planted with vines, which is why there is a clear limitation on how large the area can be.
It is very hilly and the still active volcano has left a lot of lava along the edge of the mountain. If we interpret the figures correctly, it means that there are more producers who are fighting for the area and thus also more who are racing for the favour of the consumers. A lucky combination to raise the quality of the wine produced.
The serving order was unusual to say the least, where the entry-level wine, Village, was served as the tenth and final wine. After their Tenuta delle Terre Nere Calderara Sottana Prephylloxera Etna Rosso DOC “La Vigna di Don Peppino” (~95 euro, approximate prices based on Swedish retail). “If a village wine tastes good after a grand cru, then we have succeeded,” said Christian Liistro from Tenuta delle Terre Nere.
And they have succeeded. Successful in all cuvées. We take our hats off to really fine winemaking. Terre Nere started as recently as 2002 and today has grown to over 50 hectares, which are distributed over 39 different cultivation plots. As much as 80% is exported, with the USA as the largest country. Vinovativa is the Swedish importer and they have certainly managed to grab an allocation of many cuvées, but I can assure you that there are not many bottles that we can fight over at the web shop launch. 90% of the production consists of own grapes and the purchased grapes are mainly used for white wines.
There was a lot of talk about the age of the vines, where some parcels boast specimens that have reached 200 years. What yield such old vines could give was never touched upon, but there was a certain pride in the statement that on much of their acreage the vines were over eighty years old. “Replanting after 25 years can be relevant in the case of too intense operation, not in qualitative cultivation”, said Christian Liistro. Here the soil is suitable for growing vines and they have always been there, he added.
If one may add some personal reflections, I fell head over heels for one of their Tenuta delle Terre Nere Guardiola Etna Rosso DOC 2020 (~ 38 euro). A slender, fine and at the same time firm body with a nice and long and masculine grip with finely honed tannins and a clear and distinct fruit. Feminine beauty and masculine strength. A profile that ran like a common thread through all the glasses. A beautiful, clean and sensual feeling combined with a certain food-demanding element. Like a good mushroom pasta or risotto.
A small step up in price was a lovely Tenuta delle Terre Nere San Lorenzo Etna Rosso DOC 2020 (~45 euro) with a bright red finely honed aroma and a much softer and fruitier mouth feel.
In conclusion, I can’t help but strike a blow for their entry wine, which had the thankless task of being served last. An exercise that is rarely successful. But their Tenuta delle Terre Nere Etna Rosso 2019 stood its ground and held its own against the much more expensive wines that were served before. With its SEK 229 (~20 euro) at Systembolaget, we can rightly call it more than affordable. An attempt to snag some of their bottles on the latest web release required keyboard dexterity. The pre-phylloxera sold out within a couple of seconds, while the others thankfully stayed for several minutes before they too were wiped away.
