Tenuta delle Terre Nere Etna Rosato 2024
(Sicily, Italy) - [JS 94] [VM 91]

About the Winery:
500,000 years of volcanic eruptions have created endless soil variation in neighboring plots of land, many of them radical. The soil at Terre Nere is mostly volcanic ash speckled by black pumice and peppered with abundant volcanic rock; to call it ‘rocky’ is putting it mildly! The weather variations in the area are profound and generally characterized by exposure, altitude, and ‘airiness,’ defined here as the character of a well-exposed vineyard not protected by hills, and therefore open to the cooling and drying effects of the wind. This is particularly important at Terre Nere because the harvest usually takes place in the last weeks of October, meaning that the grapes are in their most fragile state when the weather ‘breaks’ its autumn pattern, making them susceptible to oidium and mildew. The ‘airiness’ of the climate, however, helps to dry out the grapes after rain and moisture threaten mold.

Above all else, the extraordinary elevation yields dramatic temperature variations between night and day, making the wines of Etna fine and elegant, devoid of the heat and overripe flavors that usually define southern wines. In fact, most people who have tasted these wines, particularly the 2004s, say they find them most akin to Burgundies or Barolos.

Production is simple, classic, and Burgundian in style: the grapes are grown organically, using only bordelaise mixture and organic fertilization – mostly dung. Vinification follows the same lead: maceration-fermentation lasts 10-15 days, followed by malolactic fermentation and aging in oak – 25% new – and bottling around 18 months later

About the Wine:
Certified Organic
90% Nerello Mascalese and 10% Nerello Cappuccio
Produced from the young vines (25-60 years old) across vineyards of the estate in the townships of Randazzo and Castiglione di Sicilia (Catania)
Volcanic soil
Vines planted to the northern slope of Mount Etna, from 600 up to 900 meters above sea level
Harvested in the first week of October
Fermentation and aging exclusively in stainless steel
Annual production is 2,750 9L cases

Ratings & Reviews

94 Points - James Suckling:
"Complex, very floral and slightly smoky, this shows leesy character and a well-packed palate. Medium-bodied, it has silky texture and weight with a smoky, mineral finish. From organically grown grapes. Drink now." (Jul 2025)

91 Points - Vinous Media:
"Dusty and floral, the 2024 Etna Rosato lifts up with a delicate mix of peach, ripe melon and minty herbs. It's juicy in character with crisp white cherry-berry tones that resonate. The 2024 tapers off with a gentle tension as hints of wild strawberry slowly fade." - Eric Guido (May 2025)