Winemaker Notes
The nerello mascalese wines of 2017 are strong in body, powerful in structure, with notes of ripe red fruits, blood orange, pomegranate, and camphor.
Professional Ratings
-
Wine Enthusiast
Underbrush, wet stone and camphor aromas meld with whiffs of scorched earth and Mediterranean scrub. The full-bodied, enveloping palate delivers dried Marasca cherry, orange zest, raspberry compote, fennel and flint alongside velvety tannins and lively acidity.
-
Decanter
Andrea Franchetti has been seeking out very old vineyards on Etna since the early 2000s. In the past his wines could be too burly, and though he still likes to pick late and very ripe, they are better balanced. Rampante (the ‘R’ on the label) is a site at 1,000m with 50-year-old vines. The raspberry-scented nose is rich and flamboyant, thrilling. It’s full-bodied, powerful and dense, with bold tannins, and it has structure rather than heat or extraction. Drinking Window 2019 - 2028
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Andrea Franchetti's 2017 Contrada R (from the Contrada Rampante) is the most volcanic and mineral-driven of these single-vineyard expressions. You taste the dusty volcanic soil as if you were holding it in your hands. Delicate berry and blueberry aromas fill in the rear. The wine shows some dryness with powdery tannins and a mid-weight but very compact mouthfeel. Of these wines, I would drink this bottle soonest.
-
Wine Spectator
Enticing aromas and flavors of crushed mulberry, star anise, fig cake and graphite are set in this compact, medium-bodied red, firmed by gutsy tannins. Fresh and focused, with a lingering finish of herb and mineral notes. Best from 2021 through 2027. Tasted twice, with consistent notes.
Beyond the usual suspects, there are hundreds of red grape varieties grown throughout the world. Some are indigenous specialties capable of producing excellent single varietal wines, while others are better suited for use as blending grapes. Each has its own distinct viticultural characteristics, as well as aroma and flavor profiles, offering much to be discovered by the curious wine lover. In particular, Portugal and Italy are known for having a multitude of unique varieties but they can really be found in any region.
A large, geographically and climatically diverse island, just off the toe of Italy, Sicily has long been recognized for its fortified Marsala wines. But it is also a wonderful source of diverse, high quality red and white wines. Steadily increasing in popularity over the past few decades, Italy’s fourth largest wine-producing region is finally receiving the accolades it deserves and shining in today's global market.
Though most think of the climate here as simply hot and dry, variations on this sun-drenched island range from cool Mediterranean along the coastlines to more extreme in its inland zones. Of particular note are the various microclimates of Europe's largest volcano, Mount Etna, where vineyards grow on drastically steep hillsides and varying aspects to the Ionian Sea. The more noteworthy red and white Sicilian wines that come from the volcanic soils of Mount Etna include Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio (reds) and Carricante (whites). All share a racy streak of minerality and, at their best, bear resemblance to their respective red and white Burgundies.
Nero d’Avola is the most widely planted red variety, and is great either as single varietal bottling or in blends with other indigenous varieties or even with international ones. For example, Nero d'Avola is blended with the lighter and floral, Frappato grape, to create the elegant, Cerasuolo di Vittoria, one of the more traditional and respected Sicilian wines of the island.
Grillo and Inzolia, the grapes of Marsala, are also used to produce aromatic, crisp dry Sicilian white. Pantelleria, a subtropical island belonging to the province of Sicily, specializes in Moscato di Pantelleria, made from the variety locally known as Zibibbo.