About this wine
Vineyard and terroir
Contrada Guardiola is an old contrada on Mount Etna. The wider site lies between 800 and 1,000 m above sea level, immediately below the Passopisciaro winery and beside the edge of a 1947 lava flow that stopped shortly before reaching the vineyards. Passopisciaro's parcel comprises approximately 7 ha, making Guardiola its largest contrada.
The selected Nerello Mascalese vines are alberello-trained and approximately 140 years old, planted at 8,000 vines per hectare. They grow at around 800 m on a post-elliptical pyroclastic soil formed approximately 15,000 years ago and composed of pure volcanic ash. The vineyard is farmed organically; treatments comprise clay, propolis, grapefruit-seed extract, sulphur and copper. Yield for the 2024 wine was 55 q/ha.
Grapes
100% Nerello Mascalese, selected from the oldest vines in Contrada Guardiola.
Vinification
The grapes were harvested by hand on 11 October 2024. Fermentation took place in stainless-steel tanks. Across the Contrade range, the wines undergo malolactic fermentation after transfer to large oak casks.
Ageing
The wine matured for 18 months in large Slavonian oak casks. The 2024 vintage was bottled on 17 February 2026.
Technical data
- Appellation: Etna Rosso DOC
- Alcohol: 14.5%
- Production: 4,266 bottles
Tasting profile
The aromatic profile combines small red berries with distinct graphite-like mineral accents. The palate is full and incisive, framed by silky tannins and pronounced tension that reinforces the wine's vertical character. The Guardiola cru is characteristically deep and complex, with a rich red-fruit expression.
Vintage notes
The 2024 growing season began with clear, settled weather through the end of February, followed by a warm spring with cool nights and no late-frost threat. Flowering was regular from late May into early June. Summer then became intensely and continuously hot, requiring irrigation where possible. Rain in early August brought relief, although hail damaged grape quality and quantity in lower vineyards; persistent drought also caused some vines to die. Nerello Mascalese was harvested across the estate from 3 to 11 October. Fruit from the higher vineyards retained enough juice to support balance among body, tannins, acidity and alcohol.
Label / history
The cru was first produced in 2011. Beginning with the 2024 vintage, it entered the Etna DOC denomination and the abbreviated name “Contrada G” was replaced on the label by the full vineyard name, “Guardiola,” giving the wine a more explicit geographical identity. Passopisciaro began bottling its individual contrade separately in 2008 and changed their label design in 2009.