Tenuta delle Terre Nere Etna Rosso San Lorenzo 2021
Tenuta delle Terre Nere
Marc de Grazia's Terre Nere estate produces some of Etna's most expressive contrada wines, and San Lorenzo is a standout: old Nerello Mascalese vines rooted in ancient lava flows deliver a wine of rare transparency. This is not fruit-driven in the obvious sense — it is terroir speaking through fruit. Think Burgundy by way of a volcano.
Nose
Lifted red cherry and crushed wild strawberry with a pronounced floral note of rose petal. Beneath, volcanic mineral and a subtle smoky quality hint at the terroir. Fresh herbs and a whisper of black tea add complexity.
Palate
Elegantly structured with bright cherry fruit and a finely grained tannic backbone. Volcanic soil minerality drives the mid-palate, lending an almost saline, stony quality. Hints of dried herbs, gentle spice, and cedar emerge as the wine opens.
Finish
Long and mineral-driven, with persistent cherry, dried violet, and a chalky grip that pulls you back for another sip.
- Varietal
- Nerello Mascalese
- Blend
- Nerello Mascalese with minor Nerello Cappuccio
- Vineyards
- San Lorenzo contrada, north slope of Mount Etna, 700m+ elevation
- Alcohol
- 14%
- Organic / Biodynamic
- No
Food Pairing
Wood-fired lamb chops with rosemary and roasted cherry tomatoes
Cultivated from pre-phylloxera Nerello Mascalese vines planted on the north slope of Mount Etna at over 700 meters elevation, this single-contrada bottling from American-born importer-turned-vigneron Marc de Grazia translates volcanic soil directly into the glass.
Be the first to comment.
Leave a comment
Bourgogne Rouge, Domaine de Montille
Domaine de Montille
Domaine de Montille's Bourgogne Rouge is a masterclass in what restraint can achieve at the regional level — no excess, no artifice, just transparent Pinot Noir from one of Burgundy's most principled estates. It embodies the theme of clarity through constraint: a wine that finds its beauty in what it withholds rather than what it offers. An essential benchmark for understanding why less, in Burgundy, is always more.
Nerello Mascalese Vigne Vecchie
Calabretta
Calabretta's old-vine Nerello Mascalese is a masterclass in how air and altitude sculpt a wine—vineyards perched high on Etna's slopes channel wind and volcanic breath into the glass. This is traditional Etna winemaking at its most soulful: no shortcuts, no polish, just pure terroir captured by a family that has farmed the same contrada for generations. A hauntingly beautiful wine that rewards patience and contemplation.
Perrin Cotes du Rhone Reserve Rouge 2022
Perrin
The Perrin family's Réserve Rouge remains one of the Rhône's most reliable everyday reds, delivering genuine terroir character at a fraction of the cost of their Châteauneuf-du-Pape holdings. It captures the warmth of a late November harvest—generous, grounding, and quietly soulful. A wine that pairs as well with weeknight suppers as it does with the season's final fireside gatherings.
Domaine Gramenon Côtes du Rhône La Sagesse 2022
Domaine Gramenon
La Sagesse means 'wisdom,' and this bottling from very old Grenache vines is aptly named. Michèle Aubéry-Laurent farms biodynamically and vinifies with minimal intervention — native yeast, no added sulfur, no fining or filtration. This is transparency in a bottle: terroir, vine age, and vintage, nothing hidden.