Terre Nere Etna Rosso Prephylloxera La Vigna di Don Peppino Calderara Sottana 2023

Etna Rosso Prephylloxera represents one of the excellences of the Tenuta delle Terre Nere wine production. The Sicilian winery has been producing this fine DOC red wine for over ten years in Calderara, a town in the municipality of Randazzo (province of Catania). The Nerello Mascalese grapes used to create this wine grow in pre-phylloxera vineyards located on the northern slope of Etna. These centuries-old vines have a troubled and important history behind them, just think of the phylloxera epidemic that devastated European vineyards at the end of the nineteenth century, which these Catania vineyards have managed to survive until today. The grapes used exploit the particular characteristics provided by two small plots that extend over four hectares, and are the fruit of a terroir particularly suited to high-quality wine; it is no coincidence that the area is nicknamed the "Burgundy of the Mediterranean". The ungrafted vines dating back 130 years, combined with the volcanic soil, the particular climate of the area - characterized by strong temperature variations - and the high altitude of 650 meters above sea level, make this splendid wine a quintessential tribute to the beauty and aromas of its land. Etna Rosso is composed of 98% Nerello Mascalese grapes with the remaining 2% Nerello Cappuccio grapes and is nicknamed Prephylloxera because these are the ancient vineyards that predate the phylloxera attack. The vines are trained using the traditional Etna bush vine system, converted to espalier, and the harvest takes place late, around the first ten days of October. The wine is vinified as a red wine in temperature-controlled steel tanks; it is then aged in French oak barrels for 15 to 18 months, and finally again in steel for a final month before bottling. The result of this process is a magnificent still red wine, rare and delicious, so much so that it has received important awards from national and international guides over the years.