On Sicily’s Mount Etna,
contrada is the local word for
cru. Wines labeled with their
contrada, or “district,” of origin define Etna’s wine culture just as Premier and Grand Cru bottlings do in Burgundy, and today’s wine, from an out-of-the-way
contrada named “Tartaraci,” is an Etna Grand Cru.
I say “out-of-the-way” because Tartaraci is on the western slopes of the Etna volcano, in the village of Bronte, which doesn’t technically fall within the official boundaries of the Etna DOC. But no matter. There may be better-known, more widely cited
contrade on Etna, but Tartaraci is the stuff of legend nonetheless: Mirella Buscemi’s 1.5-hectare vineyard in Tartaraci is planted to bush-trained vines exceeding 90 years of age, so while her label may be new, the reputation of this site is long-established. Buscemi joins the likes of Frank Cornelissen and Vino di Anna in highlighting the terroir of Tartaraci, and has worked closely with her husband, acclaimed Etna winemaker Alberto Graci, to craft this stunning expression of a special vineyard. This is Grand Cru wine, no doubt about it. The price, especially given its rarity (about 3,000 bottles produced), is entirely justified—a steal, in fact. It’s why everyone is talking so excitedly about Etna: These “new” wines with old souls are just mind-blowingly good.
If you look at a map of the Etna wine appellation, you’ll see it wraps around the volcano mid-slope, with most of the vineyards situated between 500 and 800 meters’ elevation. The officially delimited area stretches, crescent-like, from Randazzo in the north around to the eastern and southern slopes of the mountain. Bronte is on the northwestern slope, about 20 kilometers from Randazzo, and the assorted contrade of Tartaraci include some especially high-elevation sites, including Buscemi’s, which sits at a dizzying 950 meters. It’s a piece of land with an incredibly rich history: Bronte was part of a “dukedom” given to British Admiral Horatio Nelson in 1799, as a token of appreciation from the Bourbon King Ferdinand II, whose rule over Naples and Sicily Nelson helped to restore. Unlike most Etnean reds, which focus on the Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio varieties, Buscemi’s Tartaraci vineyard is planted to Nerello Mascalese and Granaccia (i.e. Grenache, or Garnacha), the latter thought to have been brought by the Bourbons from their territories in Spain.
From gnarled old vines arrayed in the traditional alberello (“little bush”) style, Buscemi combines 70% Nerello Mascalese and 30% Granaccia in concrete vats for an ambient-yeast fermentation, after which the wine is aged in a mixture of concrete and 10-hectoliter oak botti for 18 months. Her wines are vinified at Graci’s winery, giving her and husband Alberto a firsthand look at how different terroirs on Etna express themselves (most of Graci’s wines are from north-slope contrade). The elevation and positioning of Tartaraci delivers a touch more fine-grained texture and high-toned perfume, while the addition of Grenache to the blend adds a dose of plush red-berry fruit on the mid-palate—for all you Francophiles out there, imagine a great Gevrey-Chambertin crossed with perfumed, Rayas-style Châteauneuf-du-Pape and you’ve got Buscemi’s ’16 pretty well pegged. It is a mesmerizing, utterly seductive red.
In the glass, it’s a deep ruby/garnet moving to pink at the rim, with a complex aromatic profile that lets both of its component varieties speak. Scents of tiny woodland berries, black cherry, pomegranate, blood orange, rose petals, and violet meld with more earthbound notes of rock dust, smoke, underbrush, licorice, and wild mountain herbs. Medium-bodied and mineral on the palate, with very fine, ripe tannins and uplifting freshness, the wine’s “Burgundian” side really shows on the long and aromatic finish—it lingers and intrigues in the manner of world-class wines costing many multiples more. Because it is so delicious now, it will be hard to stay away from what little there is to drink, but if you can manage to cellar some the payoff should be huge 5-7 years down the line. For the one (or more) you open immediately, decant about 30 minutes before serving in Burgundy stems at 60-65 degrees. The attached pasta recipe is a classic of Catania, Etna’s anchor city—check it out!
