Description
100% Carricante. Proprietor Marc de Grazia is one of the pioneers of the Etna. Not only was he among the first producers to recognize the value of these once-forgotten, ancient terroirs, he also was the first producer to bring attention to the specific qualities of these vineyards by bottling single-parcel Nerellos that have become reference-point wines for the Etna. Terre Nere’s wines all possessed unbelievable freshness and complexity as well as huge perfumes. These wines are astonishingly complex and ethereal efforts from the hillsides of Mt. Etna in Sicily. This Etna Bianco from the contrada of Calderara is 600-650 meters high and is mostly volcanic ash speckled with black pumice and solid volcanic rock. It is all Carricante grapes from old and young vines and many different tiny parcels (vigne niche). For Carricante is a rare commodity in an appellation that is overwhelmingly devoted to reds, rarer still on Etna’s northern slopes. In fact, Carricante vineyards answer for only 4% of the appellation. The Calderara Sottana is barrel fermented and aged in large oak barrels. It is bottled roughly 12 months after harvest, then released after six more months of bottle age. A shy, late-blooming wine of unusual complexity and great longevity, it will reward you for your patience with a rare, noble beauty. Carricante is one of our favorite white varietals as it so beautifully encapsulates everything we love about the sea. Make sure to stock up on this one from one of our most beloved producers.
