Questo vino
Vineyard and terroir
Contrada Sciaranuova V.V. comes from a true clos enclosed by a dry-stone wall and surrounded by chestnut forest. The 1961 vineyard stands at 730 m a.s.l. in Contrada Sciaranuova on Etna’s northern slope. Its original vines were probably bush-trained before being adapted to spur-pruned cordons on an espalier system. Planting density is 4,160 vines/ha.
The site contains several superimposed lava flows. Sandy, fragmented surface material belonging to the 1,000–6,000-year-old Solicchiata formation rests over more solid lava rock dating from approximately 24,000–15,000 years ago. The wider Sciaranuova district covers 14.40 ha, including 4.9 ha of vineyards and more than 7 ha of chestnut groves; its dry-stone terraces descend from southwest to northeast at an average slope of 8.5%.
Grapes
100% Nerello Mascalese.
Vinification
The 2020 grapes were harvested on 20 October. Traditional red-wine fermentation ran for eight days at 25–30°C, followed by complete malolactic fermentation.
Ageing
The wine matured for 12 months in 12 hl Slavonian oak casks. The detailed wine-page specification also assigns 30% of the wine to third-use 300 L French oak barrels for the same period.
Technical data
The 2020 wine has 13% alcohol, pH 3.69, total acidity of 6.69 g/L, residual sugar of 0.5 g/L and total extract of 27.1 g/L.
Tasting profile
An austere, elegant expression of Etna, with the density and depth associated with the old vines.
