ETNELLA, TRACOTANZA ROSSO, 6 Bottle Case 75cl

Pale ruby red in the glass. Aromas of red berries, violets and sweet spices. On the palate, clean and fresh with lively tannins and a youthful acidity. This forward acidity pairs brilliantly with food.

Etnella was founded by Davide Bentivegna in 2008 and is situated on the northern slopes of Sicily's Mount Etna. The first wines were bottled in 2010 from a vineyard located near the village of Linguaglossa in Catania. In the ensuing years Davide has acquired more land, but maintains his artisanal approach to the ancient tradition of farming on Etna, including following the lunar calendar to guide work in the vineyards. From 15 vineyards in 7 different contrade, Etnella make 7 wines from vines grown at altitudes varying from 500 to 1,000 metres above sea level. The vines are planted on terraces constructed from the local volcanic stones and the density of planting (up to 9,000 plants per hectare) encourages competition, forcing the roots to seek water and nutrients deep within the volcanic soil. All is manual and organic on the farm, only indigenous yeasts are used and minimal sulphur is employed at the time of bottling. Tracotanza Rosso is 85% Nerello Mascalese and 10% Nerello Cappucio with a splash of local Alicante and Minella grapes from Etna's Contrada Crasa. Raised in stainless steel tanks it is unoaked.