Tenuta di Fessina, Etna Rosso DOC Riserva (Sicily, Italy) 2014

 Etna is the source of some of Italy’s most complex red wines, with a palpable minerality that can make the wines almost spellbinding.  And yet, even in that context, this is an especially intricate red that results from an excellent vineyard site and very careful, patient work in the cellar.  Sourced from 90-year-old vines (mostly Nerello Mascalese) in a terraced amphitheater situated between two lava flows, it is medium-bodied and substantial, but really more about detail than power or punch.  Its élevage is conducted first in big casks, then for about a year in barriques before being bottled and held for four years prior to release.  Consequently, this is the current release of this Riserva, and it really benefitted from the late release, showing beautifully interlaced notes derived from perfectly ripened fruit, judicious utilization of wood, and some nascent tertiary notes from time in bottle.  Savory and subtle but still fresh, this is fully ready to enjoy now, but will likely attain even greater complexity over the next five years.