Tenuta delle Terre Nere Etna Rosso Santo Spirito 2008

"The 2008 Terre Nere Etna Rosso Santo Spirito is dark, inviting and exceptionally polished. The big tannins are there, but here there is so much sheer density in the fruit that the wine's structural components are barely noticeable. This shows marvelous intensity all the way through to the dark, harmonious finish. Licorice, tar, and smoke add the final dimensions of complexity. The Santo Spirito was aged in a combination of French oak barrique, tonneau and cask, in roughly equal proportions. This is one of the more sensual of the 2008s."

95 Points

The Wine Advocate

"From three acres of 50- to 70-year-old vines in Santo Spirito, this wine hides behind its dark tannin before revealing sophisticated layers of fruit. What is mute becomes black satin umami and then juicy cherry, a regal wine from the volcanic earth. This is hard to get to as a young wine, tart and lean, needing several years in bottle to show itself more completely. Everything is in place: It should prove to be a classic."

93 Points

Wine & Spirits

"Bright dark red. Red cherry, raspberry and powdered rock on the nose; noticeably deeper and more complex than the entry-level Etna Rosso. Dense, sweet and creamy, with red berry and red cherry flavors lifted by floral and mineral components. Firm acids give the wine an attractive juicy quality and extend the flavors on the long, clean finish. This is creamier and more ready to drink than some of the other single-vineyard Terre Nere wines, but it has lovely minerality and a highly appealing juicy fruity quality."

91 Points

International Wine Cellar