Torre Mora

Acquisition by the Piccini family

Torre Mora entered the Piccini family portfolio during the fourth-generation expansion led by Mario Piccini. After taking over the family business in 2004, Mario broadened its activity beyond Tuscany by acquiring two volcanic estates: Torre Mora on Mount Etna in Sicily and Regio Cantina at the foot of Monte Vulture in Basilicata. Torre Mora subsequently became the family’s Etna estate, with vineyards extending between Castiglione di Sicilia and Linguaglossa.

Organic estate project

From the 2018 vintage, the estate project adopted organic vineyard management. Torre Mora developed as a small estate centred on organic and sustainable viticulture, high planting density, low yields, traditional cultivation methods and the local grape varieties Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccio and Carricante.

By 2021, the property was described as comprising three vineyards: Contrada Dafara Galluzzo and Contrada Moscamento at Rovittello, plus Contrada Alboretto Chiuse del Signore in Linguaglossa. The vineyards occupied steep volcanic terrain at 600–700 metres, with vines between 10 and 25 years old. Spurred cordon was used in the limited level areas, while bush vines occupied the terraces.

The fifth generation and Generazione Vigneti

In 2023, Torre Mora became part of the renewed Generazione Vigneti project led by Ginevra, Benedetta and Michelangelo Piccini, the family’s fifth generation, working alongside oenologists Alessandro Barabesi and Pasquale Presutto. The project formalised the principle of matching a representative grape variety with its place of origin and placed organic, sustainable vineyard management at the centre of the estate network.

Torre Mora was selected as the Sicilian focus of Generazione Vigneti. The project was presented at Vinitaly 2023 with Chiuse Etna Rosé Dosaggio Zero Metodo Classico, a traditional-method sparkling wine produced at the estate to express the energy and volcanic character of Etna.

Torre Mora follows organic and sustainable viticulture. Organic management has formed part of the estate programme since the 2018 vintage.

High planting density and low yields are fundamental production parameters. The vines range from 10 to 25 years of age. Vineyard architecture follows the terrain: spurred cordon is used in the small flat sections, while traditional alberello bush vines are retained on the terraces. This combination allows cultivation to respond to the steep, broken contours of Etna.

Traditional methods, varietal typicity and preservation of local winegrowing culture guide the work. The difficult slopes require heroic viticulture and close integration of manual work with the natural form of the land.

In 2022, a dry summer reduced phytosanitary pressure across the estate network and allowed vineyard interventions to be limited. At Torre Mora, rain in early August and the first week of September followed optimal flowering and contributed to a larger crop than in preceding seasons. Harvest began on 7 September, two weeks ahead of the customary period.

Torre Mora favours traditional production methods intended to preserve the identity of Etna’s indigenous varieties and volcanic sites. The range encompasses still red, white and rosé wines as well as a zero-dosage rosé made by the traditional method. The broader technical programme is supported by oenologists Alessandro Barabesi and Pasquale Presutto, with a stated emphasis on territorial expression and experimentation.