Questo vino
Vineyard and terroir
The 5.5 ha vineyard lies in contrada Calderara in the municipality of Randazzo, on Mount Etna’s northern slope at 600–700 m above sea level. Its Carricante vines average 10–20 years old and are trained as bush vines and modified goblet-trained bush vines. The soil consists of black pumice and solid volcanic rock with little or no ash. The main wine page characterizes the terrain more broadly as shallow, extremely stony volcanic soil with abundant sand. Yield is 6 t/ha.
Carricante is drawn from both older and younger vines. Newer plantings occupy the highest part of Calderara and contribute freshness and agility to the cru’s naturally dense character.
Grapes
100% Carricante.
Vinification
The grapes are harvested in the fourth week of September and softly pressed. For the 2024 vintage, fermentation took place at low temperature in stainless-steel tanks, without oak. The general production method instead describes low-temperature fermentation in 5 and 10 hl French-oak barrels.
Ageing
The 2024 vintage underwent neither malolactic fermentation nor oak maturation and aged for nine months in stainless steel. The general technical description gives a different method: malolactic fermentation followed by nine months in French-oak barriques. The main page describes the white crus as both fermented and matured in 10 hl barrels.
Technical data
- Appellation: Etna Bianco DOC
- Alcohol: 13%
- Annual production: 7,000 bottles of 750 ml
- Vineyard area: 5.5 ha
- Yield: 6 t/ha
Tasting profile
Straw yellow with golden highlights. The nose is complex, combining floral and earthy notes. Dense, savoury and silky on the palate, with a deep, persistent finish. Among the estate’s two northern-slope white crus, Calderara Sottana has the denser and more powerful profile: intense, structured and exceptionally long.
Serving and pairing
Serve at 10–12 °C. Its gastronomic range extends from artichokes and elaborate pasta dishes to white meat and fish.
Vintage notes
The 2024 vintage was vinified and aged entirely in stainless steel for nine months, without oak or malolactic fermentation, departing from the general barrel-fermentation and French-oak maturation described for the wine.
Label / history
Marco de Grazia decided in 2007 to pursue a varietal Carricante after twice tasting a vigorous, impeccably preserved 42-year-old example. The experience inspired the Vigne Niche selection and an approach conceived around the methods available to an earlier generation of winemakers.
Carricante vineyards were planted on Etna’s northern side in 2007, an area historically devoted principally to red wines. By 2014, the quality and maturity of these vines made it possible to create two contrada-designated white crus, Calderara Sottana and Santo Spirito. Calderara Sottana’s first released vintage was 2014.
