Questo vino
Vineyard and terroir
Feudo di Mezzo is one of the largest contrade within the Etna DOC, broadly homogeneous but with marked qualitative differences among its parcels. This wine comes from Il Quadro delle Rose, a 1.2 ha parcel in Castiglione di Sicilia on Mount Etna’s northern slope at 600 m. The selected technical data describe shallow volcanic soil dominated by ash, while the main-page data characterize it as mixed and deep, also with ash predominating. The alberello and modified-alberello vines are 60–80 years old and yield approximately 5 t/ha.
Grapes
100% Nerello Mascalese.
Vinification
The parcel is consistently the first of the estate’s vineyards to be picked, with harvest taking place during the first ten days of October. Alcoholic fermentation is temperature-controlled at 28–30 °C, followed by spontaneous malolactic fermentation.
Ageing
The wine matures for 14 months in French-oak barriques and tonneaux, then spends one month in stainless steel before bottling.
Technical data
Alcohol: 14.5%. Annual production is given as 5,500 bottles in 750 ml format, although the main page gives 5,000 bottles.
Tasting profile
Pale ruby in colour, with an elegant, complex bouquet of red fruit and cherry. The best parcels show a shaded, autumnal quality with spicy and resinous suggestions. The palate is harmonious, persistent and supported by good acidity, with soft, silky tannins. Among the estate’s crus, it is characterized as the most open, generous, smooth and velvety.
Serving and pairing
Serve at 18–20 °C. Pair with meat and mature cheeses, poultry, pork cooked in milk, roast pork, braised meat, feathered game, ragù, finanziera or lasagna.
Vintage notes
The wine’s initially crepuscular character gains luminosity and complexity as it matures.
Label / history
First released in 2004, the wine bears the parcel name Il Quadro delle Rose.
