Tenuta delle Terre Nere Prephylloxera Etna Rosso La Vigna di Don Peppino 2020
From the Winery:
In front and to the right of our cellar in Calderara Sottana there are two parcels, in the midst of a larger vineyard that have survived phylloxera. They, therefore, are over 130 years old and stand on their original rootstock. In 2006 I decided to vinify the grapes from those parcels separately. 2006 was a splendid vintage, rather on the monumental side. These parcels yielded a wine of such unearthly finesse that, although the wine from the neighboring old vines was a real beauty, the Prephylloxera, displaying a very similar character, seemed to feed from heavenly pastures: the quintessence of Calderara. It is a bit shier and will need more time than its younger sibling. I rarely advice decanting a wine, but in this case I do. Its elegance is measured, its authority understated, its sophistication effortless. A grand wine. I suggest many savoury fine courses in very moderate quantities. Allow the wine to grow as the dinner does.
Vintage | 2020 |
Varietal Composition | Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccio |
Appellation | Etna Rosso DOC |
Vineyard | The Vineyard of Don Peppino |
Alcohol | 14.50% |
Volume | 750 ml |
Country of Origin | ITALY |
State of Origin | N/A |
Artificially Carbonated | No |
Sparkling Wine | No |
Aromas of stone, clay, orange peel, dried sage, baked red cherry and moss. Medium-to full-bodied with tense tannins that drive the palate and keep all of the complex fruit, mineral and herbal notes in line. So much to unpack. There’s depth, intensity and complexity, all in line with one another. Pine cone at the end. From organically grown grapes. Made from two parcels of ungrafted old vines in Contrada Calderara Sottana. Best from 2025. - James Suckling, 97pts