Wines
The essence of Etna
The harmonious combination of immense mineral complexity,
strength and elegance provided by the perfect marriage between dark,
porous lava soil, and 100 year old Nerello Mascalese vines.
'Ctr. Santo Spirito', my Cru single vineyard wine marks the finesse of our Etna terroir, while ‘Annacare’, made only in
extraordinary vintages, boosts of extraordinary power and depth. A selection of grapes and refined ageing brings
forward the spirit of ‘Thalia’, while ‘Aglaea’ showcases the natural beauty of Nerello Mascalese in its youth. These
four splendid reds are flanked by my Rosato and my white wine Lucifer and complete my portfolio of wines that I am
now celebrating and sharing with a selective little crowd of admirers around the world. The white is based on
Carricante, meanwhile all the reds and rosato are made from Nerello Mascalese of old vines, the greater part pre-
phylloxera at the steep terraces of the volcano Etna.
BIANCO SICILIA
Seductive, fresh, delicate
AGLAEA
Juicy, easy, cherry sweet
THALìA
Charming, mineral, subtle…
ANNACARE
Elegant, complex, self-confident and sophisticated…
SANTO SPIRITO
Santo Spirito is finesse…
Pure pink addiction…
The grapes are harvested by hand at the peak of maturity – when phenolic ripeness reaches climax, when sugar levels are perfect, and when I taste the grapes, and they tell me that it is time.
The red Grape
Nerello Mascalese (selection Massale) is the only varietal in our wines. Nerello is considered most likely to be an indigenous Sicilian varietal, and is found in a large variety of clones. In my vineyards, due to old vineyard planting practices, I find also a few of the white Carricante vines, from which I make our white wine Linophryne Lucifer.
Nerello is a grape with unique characteristics, and is genuinely capable of expressing its background. It ripens late and slowly – how slow depends on the altitude that automatically provides for a cooler climate hence longer maturation period. The consequence is a grape that can offer a very distinctive and elegant nose - a very refined and aromatic profile all together.
