Tenuta Delle Terre Nere Etna Rosso Calderara Sottana 2021
From the winery:
Tenuta delle Terre Nere is the fruit of over 30 years of passion and work in the world of fine wine.
And an extraordinary location, as well - this "island within an island" that is the Etna - that my brother and I chose. And that, I sometimes believe, actually chose us. A place where nature is prodigal but also severe. And here I try with all my heart to express as purely as possible the refined and multifaceted microcosm of this ancient volcanic land. With respect, care and hard farm work, always in organic balance.
The estate's philosophy is simple. Given an extreme climate, in order to obtain the best and most consistent ripening, our attention must focus on vineyard management. The finest workmanship in all aspects of viticulture is the first thing that sets us apart. And what enables us, bringing home exceptionally fine grapes, not to be invasive in our cellar work. A work best described as aimed above all at expressing the character of our varieties in their specific terroir.
A great team, a delicate hand and a heightened sensibility, as well. And our ideals, that drive us to give the best of ourselves in quest, not of perfection, but of the ideal bond between what nature gives us and that which our sensitivity, experience and imagination suggests.
All this sets us apart.
100% Nerello Mascalese from 50 to 100-year-old vines on the Northern slope of the Mount Etna. Spontaneous malolactic fermentation and aging in French oak barriques, tonneaux for 16-18 months of wood aging and 1 month in steel. Bottled unfiltered.
| Vintage | 2021 |
| Varietal Composition | 100% Nerello Mascalese |
| Appellation | Etna Rosso |
| Vineyard | Calderara Sottana |
| Alcohol | 14.50% |
| Volume | 750 ml |
| Country of Origin | ITALY |
| State of Origin | N/A |
| Artificially Carbonated | No |
| Sparkling Wine | No |
The soils of Calderara Sottana are easily recognizable, even at a glance. Of all the crus of the Etna DOC they are certainly the stoniest. So much so that in some areas you can’t see the ground from the stones that cover it. Fist-size, light, a mix of black pumice and basalt.
The word itself, Calderara, recalls heat, probably born from the warmth that the black stones retain and transmit back to the earth on cold nights.
The terroir of the Contrada Calderara was originated from lava flows and volcano-clastic deposits related to the effusive and explosive activity of the Elliptic volcano, approximately between 60,000 and 15,000 years ago. Although very young in geological terms, the Elliptic soil is the oldest surface layer where it is possible to plant in the appellation. The reason is simple: millennia of lava flows have buried the oldest soils, leaving, in fact, only small and rare portions of the soil of the Elliptic. On the north side of Etna there are five or six Contradas that have “elliptical terroir”. Three of them, however, are spurious, as the igneous nature of the Elliptic is mixed with alluvial soils of a sedimentary nature due to the overflow of the Alcantara river. On the north side of Etna only three Contradas are “pure” elliptical terroir: Bocca d’Orzo, Calderara and San Lorenzo.
The altitude varies from 600 to 700 meters. The harvest takes place in the second ten days of October. Locally Calderara and its wines enjoy an extraordinary reputation. Our Calderara Sottana is the result of very old vineyards, from 60 to 100 years of age. Of all our crus it is perhaps the most complete: just as a wide-angle lens includes the widest panorama, so our Calderara seems to contain and exhibit the widest spectrum of flavors, aromas and nuances. Distinctly autumnal, spicy, it is aromatic and austere at the same time. It gives a wonderful sensation of fullness on the palate, but ineffably light.
Don Peppino, whose devotion to Calderara drove him to cultivate its vines for 70 years, describes Calderara’s wines well: “creamy”, he called them. And he was right.
