To me, the word “Etna” recalls a lot of things. All of them are positive, so you can get why I always feel a bit of saudade when I hear or write it.
Etna is Sicily, friends, excellent wineries, fun, shared experiences, good memories, wines, and foods. However, Etna is mostly an extraordinary, surprising ambient, with landscapes you can never get tired of.
Thus, when I uncorked this bottle of “Etna Rosso DOC Placo - Contrada Bracaseggi 2018” from Tenute Mannino winery), I immediately felt a puff of familiar flavors - and images: wild meadows, black stone walls, wildflowers, orange trees, prickly pears. And a soil whose color changes at any step.
You know: in the past, a contrada was an ancient property born on where lava flows gushed, smeared, and cooled at various times of different depths. Unsurprisingly, there are so many vineyards in those fertile places. The grapes growing on these soils change the flavor a few meters away, and a contrada appears as true cru on some of Etna’s slopes.
The grapes of this Etna Rosso are the usual blend: Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio, both native of this region. The wine is a triumph of small red and black fruits of the wood at the nose: red berries, black currants, and blueberries. Spicy (black pepper, cloves) with a touch of graphite. The sip is juicy, refreshing, and pleasantly tart. I love it because it is straightforward: easy to drink and pair. And friendly as the Sicilian people can be.