Score: 91/100
This Etna Rosso DOC wine made in one of Piccini’s estates in Sicily, on the slopes of Mount Etna, the 10,920ft (3330m) active volcano that dominates the north-eastern corner of this island in the South of Italy.
It is a blend of local grapes varieties: 95% Nerello Mascalese, and 5% Nerello Cappuccio aged for 24 months in oak wine barrels.
Tasting Notes
This Sicilian red from the Etna volcano comes in a bright red color, of medium intensity, looking slightly lighter than expected from a wine from the very Southern part of Italy and Europe. But still, there is some decent color in there, bright red with slight orange hues.
This wine’s nose is an absolute stunner, so positively unusual. A rare aromatic profile!
The dominant notes are incredibly, and vibrantly, fruity: juicy and super-ripe blueberry notes, exceptional at this level of both fresh and ripe feel. Those are combined with citrus aromas of bergamot and orange blossom that are rare components of reds’ aromatic profiles.
The whole smells like a gorgeously fruity red filled with red berry aromas, but the addition of these intense citrus scents bring it to another level.
Black olive, cherry stone, almond, and buttery and caramelized biscuit notes finish making this wine’s nose a complex and salivating one.
The palate is very soft, dry and somewhat savory, filled with black pepper and dark black olive flavors, a wealth of bitterness populates it too. Tannins are smooth, and feel relatively light, although with some grip to the finish, amplified by the enjoyably bitter finish.
But all of this is brightened and made extremely salivating and yummy by the explosion of ripe, juicy and sweet/sour cherry flavors, super-ripe blueberry, and caramelized almond. There is so much going on in the citrus-fruity spectrum as well, that the wine’s savory heart actually feels fruity and rich.
It tastes much like a ripe griotte (sour cherry) liqueur, both somewhat vegetal and bitter, but also gorgeously fruity and ripe.
Overall
A multi-facetted red, dry, bitter, flavorsome and gorgeously ripe, displaying a rare flavor/aromatic profile making of it, a truly unique tasting experience.
A wine to experience it is, definitely…
Enjoy 🙂
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