Winemaker Notes
This wine draws its tasting strength and extraordinary aromas of incense of medicinal herbs, hibiscus and wild fennel from the lava sands. The wine is luminous and lyrical, describing without filters the character and refinement of the great mountain red wines, though at latitudes near Africa. Tannins of compact density are drawn with elegance. The sweetness and generosity of wild fruit and currants mingles with aromas of incense and beeswax, a faint almost salty flavor invites a further sip.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
The nose begins savory and herbaceous, with notes of stone, salt, pepper, oregano and fennel, before lighter aromas of cherry blossom, hibiscus and strawberries emerge. The cherry and strawberry elements sparkle on the palate, while an enduring wet, salty stoniness balances a silky smooth texture with an intense, briny freshness.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2020 Sicilia Nerello Mascalese Eruzione 1614 opens to a medium dark ruby hue with lively primary fruit. Wild berry and cassis are backed by softly rendered oak tones of cinnamon and campfire ash. Even though it is technically outside of the DOC (by just a few yards), this is one of the most beautiful growing sites on Etna. The tannins are firm but silky, meaning you can drink this bottle straight out of the gate.
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Vinous
The 2020 Nerello Mascalese Eruzione 1614 is distinctly savory, rushing forth with a burst of grilled rosemary and sage, ashen stones and crushed blackberries. It sweeps across the palate with juicy wild berry fruits, elevated by hints of blood orange and a core of zesty acidity. The 2020 tapers off long and gently tannic, closing with a pleasantly bitter tinge as minty herbal tones fade.
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.