Nerello Mascalese grapes at dawn in Ciro Biondi's San Nicolo vineyard
Nerello Mascalese grapes await harvest at Azienda Agricola Biondi ©Kevin Day/Opening a Bottle

Top 14 New Release Etna Rosso Wines (Fall 2024)

It Is Still the Most Prominent Wine from Etna, and Numerous Excellent Examples Abound

18 min read

After recently spending five days on Mount Etna, wine writer and photographer Kevin Day reports on the best, new-release Etna Rosso wines to seek out. Part 1 is devoted to Etna Bianco, and Part 3 centers on sparkling and rosé wines from this appellation.


The Latest on Etna Rosso

With Etna Bianco garnering so much attention — and with Italian red wine sales slumping in the U.S. — one might think that Etna Rosso faces some tough questions about its future. After all, it was this wine that catapulted the volcano into the spotlight 20 years ago, and fueled the wild ride up until the pandemic years. Where does it go from here now that it has lost its novelty on the marketplace, especially since that marketplace no longer rewards products labeled “Italian” + “red” the way it used to? Will the train run out of steam?

Producers are considering this. The one who spoke most eloquently on the matter was Monteleone’s winemaker, Benedetto Alessandro. “I see more problems for Nerello Mascalese [than Carricante],” he told me when discussing Etna’s future. “I think there is so much confusion about what it is, and it’s much more difficult to find a balance between the grape’s authenticity and the terroir.”

Perhaps that’s what is tripping up some of the less memorable Etna Rosso wines in the appellation. With only a touch too much ripening, extraction, reduction or new oak — all issues I encountered — you suddenly have an anonymous red wine that could come from anywhere. Drink one of these wines as your first taste and you might be left wondering, as Benedetto fears, “what is Nerello Mascalese?”

I am here to tell you that Nerello Mascalese continues to have awesome versatility and potential, and right now, it is not enduring the same kinds on strains from climate change as Nebbiolo and Sanviogese are. You just need to know who to seek out, which is why reports such as this one should be helpful to you.

I tasted roughly 80 different Etna Rosso wines during my time there, and these 14 stood out the most. For some producers, multiple wines are mentioned, bringing my total recommendation list up to 23. Only Ciro Biondi’s work warranted two separate profiles here … the guy is an absolutely master of Etna’s terroir.

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The Top Etna Rosso Wine

2020 Ciro Biondi “Cisterna Fuori” Etna Rosso

             

Yes, Mr. Biondi’s “Pianta” was one of two top wines in the Etna Bianco report, and here he is, crowning the Etna Rosso report as well. As I noted in my Still Essential profile on Ciro Biondi, after he poured for me his “Outis” Etna Bianco, “Pianta,” “San Nicolo'” Etna Rosso and “Cisterna Fuori” Etna Rosso, I told him I felt like a poker player who was just dealt the first four cards and they were all aces. He then proceeded to pour a 2000 “Outis” Etna Rosso, which blew my mind. (Read the linked profile for more on that).

“Cisterna Fuori” always tells one of the most compelling narratives on Etna: it’s a multifaceted tapestry on the alchemy between Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio (the latter comprising 20% of the wine), as well as the wisdom of old vines. Originating in a volcanic basin which last erupted in 125 BCE, and from ungrafted vines that are older than a century, this Etna Rosso always offers a wild ride.

This is especially the case with the exceptional 2020 vintage (★★★★★). The aromas seem to have bottomless depth, offering earthiness, salinity and leathery sensations, and that is all before you arrive at the pure, cherry-meets-strawberry fruit tones underneath. On the palate, the wine is significantly generous while still being built to last. While the wine has tremendous grip with its tannins, there is a lightness and ethereal weight that made me want to come back to it again and again.

I had the good fortune later in the trip to also taste a 2011 Cisterna Fuori as well as a 2016 Cisterna Fuori from magnum. The delicacy, complexity and elegance of these wines cannot be understated. I highly recommend prioritizing the 2020 vintage.

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Other Excellent Etna Rosso Wines

2022 Ciro Biondi “San Nicolo” Etna Rosso

             

Cisterna Fuori has a brother, and his name is San Nicolo. Located across the road and climbing an extinct volcano cone all on its own, this smaller vineyard has a unique flair and personality. I couldn’t resist listing the 2022 San Nicolo Etna Rosso (★★★★★) separately.

If “Cisterna Fuori” is a thoroughbred racing horse, than San Nicolo is the show jumper: agile, graceful and persistent. This wine seems to draw its complexity from the fruit tones more than anything. However, it is the fun surprises inside this wine that I’ve always found endearing: like how the tannins seem to be as mouth-watering as the acidity, or how an aroma akin to dried-mint never budges despite the fruit and tertiary tones evolving from glass to glass.

Ciro Biondi is not some minimal-intervention sage who espouses a hands-off approach in the cellar. Nor is he a technologist or manipulator. He manages his vineyards so that they will offer up the most of their potential (including raising numerous other crops and allowing wild plants to recycle nutrients), and then he seems to craft his wines like a conversation in the cellar. He is one of my favorite producers on the mountain, and I consider him to be one of Italy’s 10 most compelling winemakers.

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2015 I Custodi delle Vigne dell’Etna “Saeculare” Etna Rosso Riserva

     

Some wines simply won’t let their maker release them until they’re ready. Such is the case with I Custodi’s 2015 “Saeculare” Etna Rosso Riserva (★★★★★), which is only now being released after seven years of bottle aging. The wine comes from a very special plot in the Contrada Feudo di Mezzo that represents the spectrum of age and — one can’t help use this word — wisdom of Etna’s vines. There are a few young plants, some in 40s and 50s, and a handful that have reached upwards to an astonishing 250 years of age. Many are Nerello Mascalese, but some are Alicante, the local name for Grenache, which is allowable in the Etna DOC code.

Paoluzi took me to this vineyard at the conclusion of my visit. To see such ancient plants, gnarled and twisted yet thriving and yielding a surprising amount of fruit, was inspiring. (Visit I Custodi’s Essential Winemakers of Italy page for photos).

But it’s not just this in situ experience that astonished me. Rewind five days earlier to the technical tasting with the consorzio, and “Saeculare” was one of my top three red wines of the day. While it is aromatically impressive and unquestionably delicious, the wine immediately stood out because it demanded a slower mental approach to process. The complex character seems meditative in a way, with mellow dark cherries, smokiness, and a lot of leathery attributes. In fact, it was this last element of savoriness that seemed most unique.

There will be time to talk about aging Etna Rosso later, as it seems to operate on an accelerated schedule of evolution when compared to Brunello di Montalcino, Barolo or even Chianti Classico (yet weirdly, remains durable for up to 20 years). But here is a wine that appropriately offers a glimpse at the ideal window. Only 3,000 bottles are produced.

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2020 Federico Curtaz “Pukaria” Etna Rosso

         

The contrada system is rather confusing for newcomers to Etna. The wines labeled as contrada are often single-vineyard wines, but the contrada themselves are more like villages, spanning multiple agricultural areas. It is possible to have two wines labeled as the same contrada coming from completely different single vineyards.

I tend to not make many assumptions on the contrada and how they perform in the glass — they’re more of a reference point for where on the mountain I am tasting from — but there was some talk among the group of writers and critics I traveled with that the north slope’s Contrada Feudo di Mezzo might be Etna’s Grand Cru for Nerello Mascalese. One writer in particular noted its consistency, which made me more sensitive to the idea the rest of the trip.

This all came a day after the producer exhibit where Federico Curtaz’s 2020 “Pukaria” Etna Rosso (★★★★★) — sourced from Contrada Feudo di Mezzo — nearly stole the show. With a vivid sense of petrichor at the front of the nose, this wine evocatively pulls you in with sensations akin to delicately spiced cherries and rain storms. I told Curtaz my impressions and he said that he sometimes feels like the winemakers on Etna are like miners. “We mine the spice, the flavor,” he laughed jovially. Lean and brilliant, with a refreshing amount of fine grained tannins, and menthol on the finish, this wine was the standout on the trip until I visited Ciro Biondi.

Also be on the lookout for Federico Curtaz’s 2020 “Il Purgatorio” Etna Rosso (★★★★★) which comes from the southern slope and offers more of a tobacco leaf tone with slatey minerality, fine tannins and an overall sense of refreshment.

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2022 Monteleone “Qubba” Etna Rosso

      

Of the newcomers to Etna in the last ten years, Monteleone may be the most promising. Much of this stems from the talent and intelligence of winemaker Benedetto Alessandro, whose command of the winemaking process with Nerello Mascalese has been honed at places like Tenuta di Fessina, where he continues to consult. But the wines he makes with his wife, Giulia Monteleone, are quite compelling too.

“Qubba” comes from a lowland site that merges some very old vines planted in 1935 with some newer vines trained in the espalier system. There is an abandoned Byzantine church nearby, Cuba di Santa Domenica, which lends its name to the vineyard, but more impactful is the presence of clay and the occasional cooling effect of the Alcantara River nearby (that is, when its flowing. A local drought had reduced its water significantly when I visited). All of this seems to mix and mingle for a very interesting, very complete and polished wine, the 2022 “Qubba” Etna Rosso (★★★★★). Made from 90% Nerello Mascalese, I was reminded on the nose of the genetic kinship this grape has with Sangiovese: a heady and elegant swirl of cherries, orange peel and savory elements. But the balance achieved on the palate shows how capable Benedetto is at shepherding the wine into immediate form. It was so pristine, I could have had three or four glasses of the wine.

The couple’s 2021 Etna Rosso called “Rumex” (★★★★★) is also a staggeringly elegant wine to seek out as well, offering a more complex dimension of generous fruit, exceptional freshness, and firm, refined tannins. I will be adding a profile on Monteleone to the Essential Winemakers of Italy soon.

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2022 Barone di Villagrande Contrada Monte Ilice Etna Rosso

           

Perhaps no other winery is more strongly tied to Milo and the Etna Bianco Superiore area than Barone di Villagrande. The reason for this is the estate’s exceptionally long history in the area, dating back to the early 18th century, as well as the uninterrupted through-line of that history with the Nicolosi family, which is uncommon given the economic upheaval Sicily has endured over the last several centuries. In short, if you want to create a lineup of Etna Bianco wines for a tasting group, you’d be wise to include Barone di Villagrande because of this history.

So I was a bit surprised that upon visiting the estate, we were quickly presented with two of Nicolosi family’s red wines, and they both ended up being my favorite wines from this current batch of their vintages.

Both wines come from volcanic cones that have risen up from Etna over different periods of the mountain’s life cycle, and their subtle differences in the glass are directly tied to the contrasts in soil age and microclimate. On Monte Ilice — a perfectly round, tree-covered subcrater of Etna — the vineyard is significantly tempered by the influences of the nearby Ionian Sea. Monte Arso is similar in shape and formation, but south-facing, more inland and therefore more exposed to sun and warmth.

The 2022 Contrada Monte Ilice Etna Rosso (★★★★★) was the most supple and delicate Etna Rosso I tasted on the trip, with beautiful and graceful aromas akin to fresh cherries, as well as a nice demonstration of Nerello Mascalese’s floral side. This promise on the nose goes straight to the palate, offering a very neat and tidy, juicy and floral, superbly energetic drinking experience.

Meanwhile, the 2022 Contrada Monte Arso Etna Rosso (★★★★★) is more potent, focused and radiant, yet wonderfully playful given its muscles. It pulled me in with its radiant cherries, aromas like sweet tobacco leaf, and a mellow lack of burn from the alcohol. Marco Nicolosi does not make overpowering wines in any sense, and I suspect on the red-wine side of things, some of this has to do with his love of using chestnut barrels instead of oak, which demand a slower, more patient maturation that often leads to elegance. I love this estate’s wines and what they add to the Etna DOC narrative as a whole.

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2021 Fedegraziani Etna Rosso

       

Last year, Federico Graziani was a revelation for me at Etna Days. He belongs to the same school of winemakers as Federico Curtaz, Salvo Foti, Girolamo Russo and Ciro Biondi, who allow for wild swings of aromatic pleasure and volcanic character in their wines, without allowing things to spin out of control.

This year, I was surprised by how much his entry-level 2021 Etna Rosso (★★★★★) stood out to me over his two single-vineyard Etna Rosso wines. “Saddle up. This wine is a wild horse,” I jotted down in my notes. Here was one of the few wines that showed a pleasant, almost sulfury side that didn’t seem like a product of winemaking, but rather from the volcano. A pleasing line of savory flavors and a vegetal-like peppery tone that reminded me of Cabernet Franc, added another level of intrigue that we don’t often find in the entry level Etna Rosso wines of this DOC. However, once the tannins kick in, the wine feels like 100% Etna. There is ton of energy to this wine, a hallmark of Graziani’s full-throttle wines, yet nothing felt over overbearing.

Be sure to look for Graziani’s exceptional 2021 Rosso di Mezzo Etna Rosso (★★★★ 3/4) and — a wine that made it to my Top 12 Wines of 2023 list last year — the new release of the 2021 “Profumo di Volcano” Etna Rosso (★★★★ 3/4). These two are totemic Etna Rosso wines, but during the technical tasting I found them to be so wound tight and in need of age, that their true beauty was hard to parse. Consider that an incomplete rating.

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2022 Benanti Contrada Calderara Sottana Etna Rosso

           

Several wineries on Mount Etna have a complete trifecta in their portfolio (i.e. bianco, rosato, rosso) but only one hits high marks on all four categories: Benanti. Best of all, they have ample distribution in the U.S. for the three entry-level still wines, so if you live in a part of the country with a meager Etna selection, you should at least be able to find one of these wines. And they’re great ambassadors of the overall terroir.

For the entry-level Etna Rosso, the Benanti brothers have shifted toward leasing vineyards across the volcano so that they can devote more grapes toward their prized single contrada wines: Monte Serra on southeast slope, Cavaliere on the south slope, and Darafa Galluzo and Calderara Sottana on the north slope. I tasted the 2022 of each wine side-by-side, which was highly informative. It showed (a) the near maniacal level of consistency that Benanti is known for; (b) that the subtleties of each slope’s terroir are present in each wine, which justifies their approach; and (c) that all four wines still need a good two to three years of bottle age — or an hour-long stint in a decanter — to reveal their best details.

All four teetered on ★★★★★ status, and would have likely reached it had I been able to put this theory into practice with more time for my tasting. Salvino Benanti was kind to spend all day taking me around the volcano, and we ran short of time for the tasting, which meant that when we got back and decided to have a comparison of the Etna Rosso, they were opened on the spot and tasted. Such is the wine writer life on these trips: another appointment beckoned.

Still, I was blown away by the quality and integrity of these wines, and if I had to choose a standout rosso, it would be the 2022 Contrada Calderara Sottano Etna Rosso (★★★★ 3/4) for it was the most complete, most fully formed, and most likely to please drinkers who adore Pinot Noir. Showing brilliant red cherries, touches of raspberry and black tea, as well as a radiance on the palate that was surprising, Benanti was underscoring why this Contrada is so celebrated for its balance. The minerality that the volcanic soil loves to foster also shone well on the finish, although at 14.5% ABV, it is not a shy wine either.

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2022 Tenuta delle Terre Nere Contrada Moganazzi Etna Rosso

           

Perhaps it’s his American background, but Marc de Grazia of Tenuta delle Terre Nere really knows how to craft wines that the public at large will love, without sacrificing Etna’s character. That is an incredible skill, and while his style is consistently a little too powerful for my tastes, I have a great deal of respect for the level of craft in his work.

He had two Etna Rosso wines that shined brilliantly at the technical tasting: the 2022 Contrada Moganazzi Etna Rosso (★★★★ 3/4) and the iconic 2022 Contrada Calderara Sottana Etna Rosso (★★★★ 3/4). For my tastes, I’d give the edge to the former, which had softer acidity and more delicate fruit — “a wine that whispers a few secrets,” I wrote in my notes. Contrada Calderara is known for its decadence and vivaciousness, and that certainly felt like the case with this vintage. Both wines have an interesting 10 years of evolution ahead of them.

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2022 Passopisciaro “Passorosso” Etna Rosso

   

One of the most important pioneers on Mount Etna in the early 2000s was Andrea Franchetti, who established Passopisciaro and raised the standards considerably on what Sicilian wine could be. Sadly, Franchetti passed away in 2021, but his standards and his ideals live on through the work of his close associate, Vincenzo Lo Mauro.

I’ll be publishing a separate story on my visit to the estate, because most of the wines fall outside the Etna DOC denomination, but the 2022 “Passorosso” Etna Rosso (★★★★ 3/4) remains the estate’s link to the greater Etna winemaking community, and its a sterling entry-level wine that evokes Burgundian Pinot Noir with it silkiness and control, and Etna with its strength, energy and ambition. Of particular note was the balance between red fruits and the leafy, botanical elements that are a hallmark of Nerello Mascalese. The tannins within this wine are sensational: seemingly microscopic, yet with cotton coarseness and energy that made sure they support the show.

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2020 Irene Badalà Etna Rosso

             

Among the smaller producers I visited was the estate of Irene Badalà and her husband, Matteo Pappalardo. They make only three wines, an Etna Bianco, an Etna Rosato and an excellent Etna Rosso. Badalà’s family has a long history of tending vines in the Contrada Santo Spirito near Passopisciaro, dating back to the mid 1800s. Some of her vines exceed 100 years in age.

The 2020 Etna Rosso (★★★★ 3/4) was quite polished aromatically, with stony cherry fruit, hints of leather and wild resinous herbs all swirling together in a nicely integrated fashion. Savory elements and soft cotton tannins leant the wine a sense of elegance through to the finish.

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2021 Palmento Costanzo “Nero di Sei” Etna Rosso

        

Situated just up hill from Irene Badalà is another woman-owned Etna winery of note, Palmetto Costanzo. Led by Valeria Agosta Costanzo, who featured prominently in my First-Taste Guide to Etna Bianco, the estate is one of the most consistent and underrated on the whole mountain. The 2021 “Nero di Sei” Etna Rosso (★★★★ 3/4) offers delicately sweet aromas reminiscent of black cherries and wild herbs, with a supple freshness, vivacious tension and approachable satin tannins on the palate. One of the better entry-level Etna Rosso wines this round.

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2020 Pietradolce Contrada Feudo di Mezzo Etna Rosso

   

Driving along the main road that bisects the north slope of Mount Etna, it is hard to miss Pietradolce: the estate is simply gorgeous, with perfectly maintained volcanic stone walls terracing its broad and well-manicured vineyards.

Last year, this was one of the standout estates from numerous rounds of tasting, but this year, I found many of their wines eclipsed by those featured in this report. Yet the 2020 Contrada Feudo di Mezzo Etna Rosso (★★★★ 3/4) was a true beauty. Most prominent in the aromas was a strong sense of mint, which was not only inviting but which made the wine feel more lively and compelling. A deep chord of cherry fruit supplied ample freshness while hints of leather-like aromas lent some subtlety.

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2021 Tenuta Palmento San Basilio “Allu È” Etna Rosso

   

Tenuta Palmento San Basilio was one of the more interesting winery visits I was afforded at Etna Days. Located in Piedimonte Etneo on the northeastern edge of the DOC zone, the estate is an intriguing series of terraces crowned by one of the largest palmenti on the volcano — which happened to be destroyed by fire in 1990. Long forgotten and abandoned, the property is now in the hands of four local friends — architect Salvo Puglisi, and environmental remediators Francesco Iannello, Michelangelo Iannello and Nunzio Briguglio — who are investing mightily in its restoration. How determined are they? Well, they’ve hired the great Nerello whispered Salvo Foti as a consultant.

Work in the vineyards began in 2016, so the 2021 “Allu È” Etna Rosso (★★★★ 3/4) is still one of the estate’s earlier vintages. Much of the wine comes from younger vines that will take time to fully mature, so given that fact, it’s quite an impressive wine. It has an eager aromatic presence decked in fruit, flowers and bitter traits, as well as delicious savory flavors on the palate. While the feeling of the alcohol cannot be ignored, the tannins are light and reminiscent of soft cotton at this stage.

About 8,000 bottles of wine are produced a year, and only some of that comes to the East Coast of the United States. Production will likely grow, so this is an estate to watch out for in future years.

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About the Ratings

★★★★★ – The Top Tier
★★★★ 3/4 – A Thrilling Wine
★★★★ 1/2 – Solid and Recommended
★★★★ 1/4 – Average
★★★★ – Indistinctive
< ★★★★ – No Point in Writing About It

Learn more about the philosophy behind these ratings.

How We Rate Wine

Note: My travel and accommodations were paid for by the Consorzio di Tutela dei Vini Etna, although I extended my stay for three days and funded a rental car as well as certain meals and accommodations. Learn more about my editorial and travel policies.

CAPTIONS: All photos ©Kevin Day/Opening a Bottle. May not be reused in any way without compensation. Featured image: Nerello Mascalese grapes one day before they were harvested from Ciro Biondi’s San Nicolo vineyard. Top to bottom: Four of the five wines made at Azienda Agricola Biondi, an Essential Winemaker of Italy; winemaker Ciro Biondi in his Cisterna Fuori vineyard; husband-and-wife team Benedetto Alessandro and Giulia Monteleone of the Monteleone estate; wines for the technical tasting at Etna Days; Passopisciaro’s vines in the Sciaranuova contrada; winemaker Irene Badalà and her husband, Matteo Pappalardo; vines growing out of pure volcanic rock — one of Etna’s many strange sights — at Irene Badalà’s estate; Baron di Villagrande’s elegant Monte Arso Etna Rosso; the palmento at Tenuta Palmento San Basilio.

The wines of Azienda Agricola Biondi of the Etna DOC
Ciro Biondi in Cisterna Fuori
Alessandro Benedetto and Giulia Monteleone of Etna's Monteleone
Etna DOC wine bottles numbered for a professional tasting
Vineyard scene at Passopisciaro
Irene Badalà and Matteo Pappalardo on Mount Etna
Volcanic rocks cover a vineyard near Passopisciaro
Barone di Villagrade 2022 Monte Arso Etna Rosso
Vineyard scene at Tenuta Palmento San Basilio on Mount Etna

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