‘Potential and versatility: Terre Nere’s rosatos have all of this. They are expressive and nuanced yet also with great ageability as well as drinkability’ (Decanter)
We have to join the chorus of critics and somms raving about Sicily and the volcanic wines of Mount Etna. These wines deserve to be considered amongst the world’s elite.
The Terre Nere 2024 Etna Rosato is sheer sophistication and one of our favourite rosés! Made from old-vine Nerello Mascalese and Cappuccio, it has a Provençal feel with a Sicilian personality. Aromatics of flowers, wild strawberries and white melon give way to a deeply textural, juicy, crisp, salty wine with fine-grained tannins.
The promise of the amazing 2024 vintage is evident in Terre Nere’s Etna Bianco. Based on Carricante, an indigenous grape variety, it’s no wonder this white is often called the Burgundy of the South. Vibrant and floral, it offers jasmine, white peach, lemon zest and a rocky minerality, ending with a ‘wickedly fresh finish’ (Vinous).
You can find their entire range of whites, reds and rosato here.
Tirelessly passionate about the vines of Mount Etna, Marc de Grazia has been instrumental in the region’s ascent to greatness since the late nineties. Here he tells the origin story of rosé production at Terre Nere:
‘My rosé production started by chance. My daughter, who was two years old in 2007, went around in the cellar saying, “And me? Pink, pink, pink!” I had already painted the cellar in her favourite colour but I had 5,000 kilos of Nerello Mascalese that I did not know what to do with and thought, why not make a rosé for her?’
Tasting Notes:
‘Fresh and floral but with white pepper and a noticeably assertive smoky minerality. Light-bodied, this shines with silky texture and zesty yet integrated acidity. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.’ – James Suckling, jamessuckling.com, 94/100
‘Showing really well, this Etna Rosato has some creamy cherry imbued with spice and salinity. Fresh and sapid on the finish, it’s a lip-smacking, light and easy rosé.’ – James Button, Decanter, 92/100
