Tenuta delle Terre Nere

Sicilia

2019

Etna Bianco Superiore

Etna

$ EUR

Release Price

Drink Window

13%

ABV

pH

TA

RS

Nose

Agrumato, con piacevoli note speziate

Palate

Lineare, elegante, con una bella acidità, di grande freschezza e sapidità

Growing Conditions

The rainy average in Milo is double that of the northern and southern areas. His exposures are mostly east facing, often made difficult and shady by vast ravines. The steepness of the terraces of the entire municipality sees the sun forcibly setting very early in the shadow of the volcano. Furthermore, the climate is very humid, open as it is to the hot scirocco wind which, after crossing the Ionian Sea, blows directly on the vineyards. So much so that it is not uncommon to find yourself shrouded in fog even on summer evenings. No, it is not a climate for red wines. But an extremely interesting, albeit demanding one, for whites, who seem to appreciate its particularly fresh, humid and breezy nature.

“Finally, last year (2019) I managed to purchase a small but beautiful property. I was looking for the perfect altitude: not too high, to avoid a really too extreme climate; nor too low, where excessive heat would defeat the austere and acute character of the Milo wines that I had learned to admire. It also had to be well exposed to ensure consistent quality in such a difficult climate. The property had both. And now, after twenty years of neglect, and the dry stone walls patiently rebuilt by hand, it is ready to produce captivating wines again. While waiting for the vineyard to bear fruit, I feel I can offer you my vision of a Milo white from grapes selected by excellent winemakers I have known for years: a sharp, slender, austere and aristocratic wine – another example of the wonderful Etnean diversity”. Marco de Grazia

- Production area: Milo

- Vineyard extension: 1.2 hectares

- Production: 6 tons per hectare.

- Soil: volcanic, deep, mainly volcanic and “ripiddu” ash, less draining than average

- Exposure: eastern side of Etna, from 600 to 750 meters above sea level

- Age of the vineyards: from 50 to 80 years

Harvest

Terza settimana di settembre

Winemaking

Vinificazione in bianco tradizionale con breve macerazione a freddo (8-10° C),
pressatura soffice, decantazione statica e fermentazione alcolica in botti di rovere francese da 5 e 10 hl.

Aging

Fermentazione malolattica e maturazione in botte per 9 mesi

Appearance

Giallo paglierino con riflessi dorati

Food Pairing

Primi piatti a base di verdure, secondi di pesce e carni bianche

More from this Producer

Tenuta delle Terre NereEtna Rosso

Tenuta delle Terre NereEtna Bianco

“The first time I produced this wine was in 2005. Basically I wanted to remove the white grapes that, in the old vines, it was customary to plant in small quantities mixed with the reds, to make my Etna Rosso with just Nerello. The white grapes were a blend of native varietals: Carricante, Catarratto, Inzolia, Grecanico and Minnella. And from the blending of these grapes, with a prevalence of Carricante, my Etna Bianco was born” Marco de Grazia And it still is. All from old vines. And somehow it works. A perfect, delicious wine. With the spontaneous grace of a dancer, it never loses its brightness and pace.

Tenuta delle Terre NereCuvée delle Vigne Niche Montalto

Tenuta delle Terre NereEtna Rosato

“I produced this wine for the first time in 2007. Don’t get me wrong: I really like beautiful rosé wines. I just never thought I’d make one. It wasn’t my priority. But it was for my daughter Elena. The attraction of pink to girls is well known, particularly at the venerable age of 3. As having painted the cellar pink was just not enough. Was there a red wine? Was there a white one? Well, we also needed a pink one! And the extraordinary versatility of Nerello, I soon discovered, was just what was needed. Not an easy wine to make. Indeed, quite the opposite: balance is sought on tiptoe. The Platonic ideal, at least as I see it, if I am allowed to express myself so, would be the rosato that has the body of a white and the soul of a red. However, this is what I am looking for: a wine that is joyful without being frivolous; that has tension without being austere. And I feel we are close”. Marco de Grazia

Tenuta delle Terre NereCuvée delle Vigne Niche Santo Spirito

After all, as for the reds, arriving at the production of the white Cru is the culmination of a dream, however pursued in a scientific way: from separate vinification to the understanding of which grape was adequate, which soil and what work was necessary to arrive at long awaited production. The two white Crus from the Northern area, denominated with the Contradas of origin, respectively Calderara Sottana and Santo Spirito, are composed of Carricante from old and young vines, as to find excellent Carricante in an area of the DOC mainly dedicated to reds it’s not easy.

Tenuta delle Terre NereEtna Bianco Superiore

For centuries and centuries the northern slopes of Etna have been recognized for the best red grapes in the area; so much so that white grapes have never been planted here, (except for a small percentage mixed with red ones to lighten the powerful red wines). “This is why I have established the Tenuta delle Terre Nere here. Some specific areas of the eastern and southern areas of Etna, due to ancient and recent history of excellence in viticulture, already attracted me a lot. In short, I became particularly interested in the viticulture of the smallest municipality in the eastern area, Milo. From the 18th century until a dozen years ago only one company existed in Milo, and it was famous for its whites. And when in 1968 the statute of the D.O.C. Etna was established, only the whites of Milo were allowed to carry the “Superiore” denomination. In fact, as I see it, the microclimate of Milo makes the production of red wines unlikely, while that of rosé wines interesting, and that of whites potentially admirable even if it requires a very special attention”. Marco de Grazia

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