Wine and vintage

This is the 2022 Calderara Sottana Etna Rosso from Tenuta delle Terre Nere, produced principally from Nerello Mascalese with Nerello Cappuccio. It combines sour cherry and red berries with dried flowers, herbs, smoke, and stony savor. The 2022 wine has the acidity and fine, persistent tannin typical of serious Etna Rosso, with enough ripe fruit to remain open and expressive at the table.

Producer

Tenuta delle Terre Nere was founded by Marco de Grazia on Etna's northern slopes. The estate helped establish the modern practice of bottling individual contrade, or officially delimited vineyard areas, to show differences in elevation, exposure, vine age, and lava-derived soils. Its style emphasizes aromatic clarity and structure rather than heavy extraction or obvious sweetness.

Cuvee

Calderara Sottana is a contrada bottling, meaning its identity comes from one recognized growing area rather than a blend representing the whole Etna appellation. The site is associated with stony volcanic ground and a high proportion of old vines. Within the producer's range, the cuvee is generally understood as firm, mineral, and long-lived, with darker structure than the palest and most delicate Etna expressions.

Service and pairing

Serve at about 15-17 C in a Burgundy or medium red-wine glass. Give a young bottle some air, but taste before decanting because aeration needs vary with bottle condition. Its acidity and tannin suit tomato-based pasta, mushrooms, grilled pork or lamb, oily fish, aubergine, and dishes carrying smoke or earthy herbs.