Questo vino
Vineyard and terroir
This white cru comes from the Santo Spirito contrada in Castiglione di Sicilia, on Etna’s northern slope at 700–800 m. The 5 ha vineyard combines young and old Carricante vines, averaging 10–40 years, trained as bush vines and modified bush vines. The deep, soft, loose and dark volcanic soil is particularly rich in ash. Yield is 6 tonnes per hectare.
Grapes
100% Carricante.
Vinification
The grapes are harvested in the fourth week of September. For the 2024 vintage, the wine was fermented entirely in stainless steel, without oak or malolactic fermentation, to accommodate its natural breadth. The general protocol describes gentle pressing followed by low-temperature fermentation in 5 and 10 hl French oak barrels.
Ageing
Vintage 2024 matured for 9 months in stainless steel. The general protocol describes malolactic fermentation and 9 months of ageing in French oak barriques, while the broader estate narrative refers to fermentation and maturation in 10 hl barrels.
Technical data
Alcohol: 13%. Annual production: 4,500 bottles of 0.75 L.
Tasting profile
Straw yellow with golden highlights. The complex nose brings together floral, fruit and mineral notes. The palate is intense, savoury and broad, with a velvety, persistent texture. Compared with the Calderara Sottana white cru, Santo Spirito is more open and exuberant, with heightened freshness, spring-like energy and a rich floral expression associated with the contrada’s abundant volcanic ash.
Serving and pairing
Serve at 10–12°C with light pasta dishes, fish or white meats.
Vintage notes
The 2024 vintage marked a departure from the general oak-based protocol: both fermentation and nine months of ageing took place in stainless steel, and malolactic fermentation was avoided.
Label / history
Cuvée delle Vigne Niche originated from a project begun in 2007 after Marco de Grazia tasted a remarkably vigorous 42-year-old Carricante and set out to create a similarly long-lived wine. Carricante had been planted on the estate’s northern side seven years before the significant 2014 vintage. The quality of those grapes allowed the project to expand into two contrada-designated white crus, Calderara Sottana and Santo Spirito, composed from both younger and older vines. Santo Spirito was first released with the 2014 vintage.
