Winemaker Notes
Ruby red with soft purplish reflections. Rich and complex on the nose, very reminiscent of small fruits of brambles, black cherry and a very delicate hint of softwood. On the palate it is decisive, complex and extraordinarily persistent.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Complex aromas of ripe fruit, toffee, cedar and smoke. Medium body, round and creamy tannins and a fresh, juicy finish.
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Wine Spectator
A mouthwatering, minerally red, with hints of iron, leather and cured tobacco underscoring steeped cherry and raspberry fruit. Fine and silky on the palate, with hints of dark chocolate, loamy earth and red licorice enriching the finish. Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio.
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Jeb Dunnuck
A bright medium red/orange-tinged color, the 2018 Etna Rosso Trimarchisa is showing more spice character. Coming from relatively lower elevation vines, close to the river at 350-400 meters altitude, it offers notes of sun-baked cherries, fresh leather, dried Mediterranean herbs, and baking spice. There’s a touch of Nerello Capuccio in the blend, and it is medium-bodied, with a more forested feel, refreshing acidity, ripe tannins, and an even, medium-bodied richness. It’s starting to show some more maturity but remains fresh.
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.