Tenuta delle Terre Nere
Bellacolonna · Etna Rosso · 2022
Selected for you by Caroline Williams, Curated Cellar

The story
In the 1980s, Marco de Grazia was one of the importers behind Piedmont's "Barolo Boys," the young producers who changed Italian wine. Around 2000 he turned to Mount Etna, buying vineyards on the volcano's northern slope when few wine lovers outside Sicily knew its name. He released his first vintage in 2002 and, on its back label, called Etna "the Burgundy of the Mediterranean." Since then he has worked to have Etna's individual vineyard sites, its contrade, recognized the way Burgundy's crus are. That idea has reshaped how the world sees the region.

The vineyard
Bellacolonna was created to celebrate Terre Nere's 20th anniversary. It comes from a small, 3-hectare parcel within Calderara Sottana, one of the estate's most celebrated vineyards on Etna's north side, planted in 2006 and 2007. It is 100% Nerello Mascalese, Etna's great red grape, grown in black volcanic soil.

Red cherry, wild strawberry and blood orange, with dusty rose, warm autumn spice and a smoky, stony touch from the volcano. Silky and graceful, with an almost Burgundian elegance.

Enjoying it
Serve slightly cool, around 60–62°F, and give it 30 minutes of air; it opens beautifully in the glass. Lovely now and over the next several years. Wonderful with mushroom risotto, roast pork or duck, grilled lamb, or Sicily's own pasta alla Norma.

A note from Caroline
Thank-you gifts deserve a wine with a story, and this one was made to celebrate. I hope it brings a little Sicilian warmth to your table. Cheers to you!

Questions about this wine, or looking for something special?
caroline@cwsomm.com ·