A new discovery
The two wines I tasted were from Alberto Graci. The winery is located at the northern slope of Mount Etna.
The basic wine is called Etna Rosso doc, I tasted vintage 2007.
The wine is 100% Nerello Mascalese, a grape widely unknown among wine lovers. It is fermented in Stainless Steel and sees no wood. The vines grow in the altitude of 600 meters. If you put this bottle into a Blind Tasting of 1er Grand Cru Burgundy of a ripe and not too acidic year very few people would be aware it is not from the Cote ´d Or. The colour, the nose, the medium body, the aromatics and the flavours are all very Burgundy. Elegance, minerals, a rather light body but with a lot of complexity and length – all the characteristics Burgundy is famous for can be found in this beauty. It costs less than 20 Euro and for that price it is almost a gift.
The top wine is called Etna Rosso Quota 600, I tasted vintage 2006.
That wine is 100% Nero Mascalese either but the vines grow in the heights of 1.000 meter. Unlike it´s little brother it was fermented and aged in oak. It tastes like a top Vosne Romanée with it´s spicy character. The wine is fuller, darker, deeper and longer in mouth. It is a Grand Cru IMO and complex as the best Burgundies are. The wine costs about 27 Euros and compared to it´s quality it is really a very fair price..
What stand out in that wines is the quality of the tannin, the superb texture and the wonderful freshness. The explanation is probably the height in which the wines grow. Sicily is a hot Island but in that altitude the nights are cool. Furthermore it is obvious that the wine maker must be a lover of Burgundy and a very quality driven and talented guy.
I liked the wines a lot. If you have the chance to taste one of them – don´t hesitate. Some more information about the wines and the producer can be found on the homepage www.graci.eu.
Cet article a été commenté 14 fois | Ajouter un commentaire | Revenir en haut | Aller en bas
Laurentg dit | Danke, Jürgen |
Lalau Hervé dit | Petit extrait de mes notes de dégustation chez Benanti, un des grands de la DOC Etna. Ses vignes sont plantées sur des sols aérés, il s’agit en grosse proportion de pieds francs, l’altitude donne une grosse amplitude thermique favorable aux aromatiques. A noter que l’Etna, terroir plus frais, convient mal au Nero d’Avola; il y est supplanté par les deux nerello (mascalese et cappuccio). |
Laurentg dit | Benanti Monovitigna nerello mascalese 2003 : très bon vin (un petit air d'Amarone). |
Jürgen Steinke répond | Well, maybe the wines aren´t as unknown as I had expected. |
Laurentg dit | Jürgen, |
Lalau Hervé dit | Who in France knows Sicilian wines? I do. But attending the Anteprima in Sicily helps a lot!!!! |
Laurentg dit | I knwow that you know, Hervé. |
Jürgen Steinke répond | What I find most interesting: Everyone speaks about Cabernet, Merlot, Pinot, Syrah, Grenache and sometimes about Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, Tempranillo. But some or even many other very old and rather unknown grapes are widely overseen and didn´t get the attention they deserve. |
Laurentg dit | Gaglioppo, nerello mascalese, nerello cappucio, greco nero in Calabria. |
Nicolas Herbin dit | If i can me permettre.... |
Nicolas Herbin dit | Ah sh**, Laurent avait déjà given the link. I avais pas vu ! Sorry... |
Laurentg dit | Une autre forme de C/C, mon cher Nicolas ... (le même type d'intention, pour moi, pour rleier, expliciter, comparer). |
François R dit | Pour moi également, c'est un cépage qui peut produire des choses magnifiques. |
Laurentg dit | Le Nerello Mascalese est superbe en Passopisciaro 2001 et sur Faro Palari 1998 (associé à cappuccio, acitana, nocera). |
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