‘A muntagna. The mountain. That’s what the locals call Mount Etna, the colossal volcano that overshadows a large swath of the eastern Sicilian coastline. As Europe’s tallest active volcano, Mount Etna peaks at more than 11,000 feet (3,300 meters) above sea level, although that measure ebbs and flows along with its near constant activity. Vineyards have dotted the slopes since antiquity, first cultivated thousands of years ago by the Greeks and Romans, and more recently by a growing number of talented winemakers with local roots as well as from elsewhere in Italy and abroad.
Over the past two decades, Etna has shed its reputation as a leading producer of Sicilian bulk wine and embarked on a winemaking renaissance. Characterized by a newfound emphasis on quality and desire to maximize the region’s potential through a better understanding of its terroir, Etna’s revival has propelled the region into the international spotlight. The wines, some of Italy’s most distinctive and intriguing, have garnered critical acclaim and piqued the interest of wine enthusiasts near and far.
Early standards for quality winemaking on Etna date back to the creation of the Etna
Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC), Sicily’s first regulated wine appellation and one of Italy’s oldest, in 1968. Its borders resemble a backwards semi-circle stretched around Mount Etna’s northern, eastern, and southern slopes, covering an area from 1,300 to 3,200 feet (400 to 1,000 meters) above sea level. Here, vineyards planted at high elevation enjoy a long growing season with warm sunny days to ripen the grapes, cool nights to preserve acidity, and ample rainfall to sustain the vines.
Native grape varieties lend an alluring character and charm to Etna’s DOC wines. Two varieties dominate: Nerello Mascalese for the reds and Carricante for the whites. Nerello Mascalese is a thin-skinned grape capable of producing aromatic, light-colored wines with a finesse and power reminiscent of Pinot Noir or Nebbiolo. Aromas and flavors of red cherry, raspberry, and plum are typical, alongside hints of crushed violets or rose petals, subtle spices, and a pronounced earthiness. Racy acidity and naturally high tannins – once tight and rustic but now increasingly polished and elegant – provide ample structure. With a few years of bottle age, the best examples develop a sultry smoky profile, flaunting savory leather and herbal balsamic notes. Wines labeled as Etna Rosso DOC or Etna Rosato DOC must include between 80% and 100% Nerello Mascalese. The most common blending partner is up to 20% Nerello Cappuccio, a rounder and less tannic grape with a darker fruit profile.
Etna Rosso is the superstar that vaulted the region onto the world stage, but another up-and-comer is threating to eclipse its fame – Etna Bianco. Once a tiny sliver of Etna’s production, demand for Etna Bianco DOC and Etna Bianco Superiore DOC is skyrocketing, with an impressive growth of 19% and 120%, respectively, in the number of bottles produced between 2022 and the first half of 2023. Basic Etna Bianco DOC includes at least 60% Carricante, which winemakers commonly blend with the ubiquitous Sicilian grape Catarratto, both for a fruitier style and to soften Carricante’s piercing acidity. The wines are taut and vibrant, with notes of tangy citrus fruit and dried herbs and a mouthwatering salinity. Over time, they can develop the petrol and smoky aromas characteristic of aged Riesling. Etna Bianco Superiore DOC, which hails solely from vineyards in the commune of Milo on the volcano’s eastern slope, requires at least 80% Carricante, although 100% varietal bottlings are generally the norm. Austere in their youth, these wines can age for a decade or more and require four to five years in bottle before their complexity begins to shine.
For an appellation with fewer than 3,000 acres (1,200 hectares) under vine, the Etna DOC boasts a stunning array of growing conditions. Countless permutations of elevation, aspect, sunlight, rainfall, wind, and proximity to the sea subtly influence the flavor and structure of the wines, as does the diversity of the region’s rich volcanic soils. Layers of ash and hardened lava from successive eruptions form a patchwork of soils that vary widely in age and composition from one location to the next. Sciare, the hardened remains of Etna’s ancient (and not so ancient) lava flows, are evident throughout the vineyards. To note a few interesting examples, the amphitheater of hardened lava from the 1566 eruption that surrounds Donnafugata’s Contrada Marchesa vineyard, lava deposits from the 1566 and 1879 eruptions that run alongside Tenute Bosco’s Vigne Vico vineyard, and the rocky walls that shadow Romeo Del Castello’s vineyards, left by an eruption in 1981 that very nearly destroyed the entire property.
Intrigued by the wealth of viticultural diversity at their fingertips, a group of producers including Andrea Franchetti of Passopisciaro, Marco de Grazia of Tenuta Delle Terre Nere, Alberto Tasca of Tenuta Tascante, and Giuseppe Benanti and Alberto Graci of their eponymous wineries began exploring the quality potential of Etna’s site-specific wines in the early-to-mid 2000s. To de Grazia, the region’s diverse soils and microclimates, and the different expressions of Nerello Mascalese and Carricante they yielded, warranted comparison to the famous crus of Burgundy. A 2011 update to the DOC rules divided the appellation into 133
contrade, or neighborhoods, based largely on the borders of feudal property lines drawn on historical maps. Producers can specify an individual
contrada (the singular form of contrade) on their labels, provided the grapes grow exclusively in that designated area.
Contrade are geographic designations with different topography, climates, and soils. In many cases they’re home to one single vineyard, but some larger
contrade, such as Feudo di Mezzo and Santo Spirito, house multiple vineyard sites. In addition to a basic Etna Bianco DOC and Etna Rosso DOC, wineries often produce one or more
contrade wines. Tasted side-by-side, wines made by a single producer from different
contrade have distinct traits, but consensus about the style, quality, and consistency of each
contrada remains elusive. Growing conditions within a
contrada are not always uniform, and variations in the elevation and soil composition within
contrade can blur the stylistic differences between them. Determined, however, to unearth a deeper knowledge of the region’s full potential for terroir expression, Etna’s viticulturalists and winemakers are homing in plot by plot and experimenting with individual parcels within certain
contrade, vinifying them separately to better pinpoint their unique characteristics.
Etna’s quest to define its identity may still be a work in progress, but the region’s capacity for excellence is undeniable. Considering how far Etna has come in the last 20 years, it is only natural to wonder what’s next on the horizon. In the fall of 2023, the local producers’ association voted unanimously to apply for
Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) status, the highest quality designation for Italian wines. While there are no plans to change the appellation’s boundaries (which is surely a disappointment for producers making outstanding quality wines at elevations that exceed the current DOC borders), expect to see an adoption of more stringent production criteria, including lower maximum yields for
contrade wines. Other recent changes include expanding the number of
contrade from 133 to 142 and sanctioning the use of Carricante in the region’s increasingly popular traditional method sparkling wine, Etna Spumante DOC.
For anyone looking for a deeper dive into the evolution of this fascinating corner of the wine world, I highly recommend Benjamin North Spencer’s book,
The New Wines of Mount Etna: An Insider’s Guide to the History and Rebirth of a Wine Region. A winemaker himself, Ben relocated from California to Sicily more than a decade ago and has spent years exploring the volcano’s many nooks and crannies, forging close bonds with dozens of families making wine on Etna, and sitting down with them to record their stories. I had the pleasure of visiting several wineries on the northern slope of Etna with Ben a few months back. Our first stop was the contemporary winery Pietradolce, located in the village of Solicchiata. Founded by the Faro family in 2005, Pietradolce’s stunning cellars and tasting room weave together physical materials and inspiration from the volcano to showcase a blend of
architecture, art, and wine. The labels of their contrade and single vineyard wines – which depict Etna as a woman in an elegant gown draped to resemble the volcano, lava and steam erupting from her long hair – are a perfect illustration.
Tasting Pietradolce’s contrade and single vineyard wines side-by-side afforded an ideal opportunity to experience how subtle differences in volcanic terroir can influence a wine’s personality. Here I compare three Etna Rosso DOC wines from the 2019 vintage: Contrada Ramparte, Contrada Santo Spirito, and Archineri, a single vineyard within Contrada Ramparte. Made from 100% Nerello Mascalese, all three hail from 80- to 90-year-old ungrafted vines planted between 2,800 and 2,950 feet (850 to 900 meters) above sea level on the northern slope. Like many parts of Etna, grafting onto American rootstock to protect vines from phylloxera hasn’t been necessary here, since the root louse doesn’t thrive in sandy volcanic soils. The trio of wines undergo the same method of production, including fermentation in concrete tanks, 14 months of aging in French oak
tonneaux (10% new), and a year and a half to two years of bottle aging prior to release. The wines are imported by Empson USA, and each one retails for around $45.
Pietradolce “Contrada Rampante” Etna Rosso DOC 2019: Ungrafted Nerello Mascalese has a darker fruit profile than its grafted counterpart, which really shines through here on the nose. With co-mingling aromas of juicy black cherry, spiced plum, licorice, tomato leaf, and tobacco, this wine is undoubtedly the most herbaceous and vegetal of the three. Round and broad-shouldered on the palate, the smooth tannins are perceptible, yet considerably more polished than many Etna wines I’ve encountered in years past. An intense yet elegant wine, the Contrada Ramparte is tighter and more restrained than either the Contrada Santo Spirito or Archineri.With a few more years of bottle aging, I expect it will really come into its prime.
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Pietradolce “Contrada Santo Spirito” Etna Rosso DOC 2019: Showing considerably more red fruit and spice than the Contrada Ramparte, the nose leads with an enticing blend of wild strawberries, tart cherries, and rhubarb, rounded out by cigar box, clove, and dried Mediterranean herbs. The spiciness continues through to the palate, which is weightier and more powerful than either of the other wines, but has a crisp acidity and fine-grained tannins that keep it light and fresh. Layers of ripe red fruit, sweet spice, and dusty earth slowly unfold, giving way to tart, almost sour fruit flavors and a pronounced stony minerality on the finish. Impeccably balanced, the 14.5% alcohol is barely perceptible.
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Pietradolce “Archineri” Etna Rosso DOC 2019: Stylistically, this wine falls somewhere in between the other two. Less herbaceous than the Contrada Ramparte and showing more finesse than the Contrada Santo Spirito, the Archineri has a wonderfully perfumed nose, with bright cherries, raspberries, violets, crushed gravel, underbrush, and a whiff of balsam. Elegantly structured, the wine is silky and vibrant on the palate, with firm yet supple tannins, mouthwatering freshness, and gorgeous purity of fruit. Hints of red cherry, forest floor, and smoky minerality linger on the finish. Although lovely to drink now, additional depth and complexity await anyone patient enough to cellar a bottle for a few more years.
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