Questo vino
Vineyard and terroir
The fruit comes from 14.5 ha in contrada Calderara, in the municipality of Randazzo, on the northern slope of Mount Etna at 600–650 m above sea level. The vines are between 50 and 100 years old and are trained as alberello and modified alberello. The vineyard yields approximately 6 tonnes per hectare.
Calderara Sottana is distinguished by exceptionally stony ground. In some places, fist-sized pieces of light black pumice and basalt cover the soil completely. The name Calderara evokes heat, recalling the warmth retained by these dark stones and released back into the earth during cold nights.
The contrada was formed by lava flows and volcaniclastic deposits produced by the effusive and explosive activity of the Ellittico volcanic centre approximately 60,000–15,000 years ago. Although geologically young, this is among the oldest exposed ground suitable for planting within the appellation: later lava flows buried most older surfaces, leaving only small, rare remnants of the Ellittico formations. Calderara, Bocca d’Orzo and San Lorenzo are identified as the three contrade on Etna’s northern side with unmixed Ellittico terroir; elsewhere, volcanic material is combined with alluvial sediment associated with the Alcantara River.
Grapes
100% Nerello Mascalese.
Vinification
Harvest takes place during the first or second ten-day period of October. Alcoholic fermentation proceeds at a controlled temperature of 28–30°C, followed by spontaneous malolactic fermentation.
Ageing
The wine matures for 14 months in French oak barriques and tonneaux, followed by 1 month in steel before bottling.
Technical data
- Appellation: Etna Rosso D.O.C.
- Alcohol: 14.5%
- Annual production: approximately 9,000 bottles
- Bottle size: 750 ml
- First vintage: 2003
Tasting profile
Pale ruby in colour with mahogany highlights. The penetrating bouquet combines ripe fruit and spice. The palate is structured, full and complex, with a substantial tannic presence. Its broader character is autumnal, spicy, aromatic and austere at once, combining a sense of fullness with notable lightness. Don Peppino, who cultivated Calderara’s vines for 70 years, described its wines as “creamy.”
Serving and pairing
Serve at 18–20°C. Pair with meat and aged cheese; more specific suggestions include noble poultry, white-meat ragù, pork loin, pork cooked in milk, rabbit in white wine and baked lamb.
Label / history
First released with the 2003 vintage. Its identity is closely tied to the heat-retaining black stones of Calderara and to Don Peppino’s long stewardship of the contrada’s vines.
