Winemaker Notes
Luminous and trasparent ruby-red. The sweetness and generosity of wild fruits and currants merges with aromas of incense and beeswax and a light almost salty touch invites one to return to one’s glass. This 100% Nerello Mascalese from lava sands presents its tasting strength and extraordinary aromas of incense and herbs, hibiscus and wild fennel. A luminous and lyrical wine which recounts without obstacles the character and refinement of great red mountain wines but at latitudes not far from Africa. The tannins of compact texture are extracted with elegance.
Blend: 91% Nerello Mascalese, 9% Nerello Cappuccio
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A pure and very focused Etna red with aromas of cherries, strawberries, ash, rose petals and rose stems, following through to a full body with firm, chewy tannins and a bright, tightened finish. Shows class and persistence. Drink or hold.
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Wine Enthusiast
Delicious and loaded with finesse, this Nerello Mascalese delivers aromas and flavors of ripe black cherry, blackberry and star anise, while smoky flint adds depth. Lithe, elegant tannins provide the polished framework.
Editors' Choice -
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Planeta's 2017 Sicilia Nerello Mascalese Eruzione 1614 reveals a delicate and poised personality with small berry aromas and licorice followed by smoke, tar and ash. The wine delivers a subdued mouthfeel that slowly grows in intensity and length. You really taste the grape here, Nerello Mascalese, in its most naked and pure form.
Extending across the variable volcanic soils of the slopes of Mt. Etna at some of the highest vineyard altitudes in all of Europe—up to 3,300 feet—Nerello Mascalese is one of Sicily’s most noble red varieties. It makes a beautifully aromatic, firm, cellar-worthy but pale-hued red often comparable to a fine Burgundy or Barbaresco. Somm Secret—Nerello Mascalese takes its name from the black color of its grapes, nerello, and the Mascali plain between Mt. Etna and the coast where it is believed to have originated.
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.