Mount Etna is red hot right now. In Sicily’s northeast corner, a flood of young winemakers and outside investment–not to mention singular wines–has made this literal active volcano one of the country’s most important regions. Azienda Vinicola Calabretta is one of the grand poobahs of the mountain, a local legend whose stunning bottles attracted all this attention in the first place. Today’s wine is a perfect example of just what makes Calabretta so special. Etna Rosso “Vigne Vecchie” a nearly decade-old beauty that rumbles with incredible power, volcanic depth, and soaring red fruit. The Calabretta family has cultivated ancient, own-rooted vines and historical winemaking techniques for over a century, and today we get to revel in the delicious results. “Vigne Vecchie” is an Italian red in the deeply traditional mold of icons like Rinaldi and Castell’in Villa. And while it’s in its prime drinking window now, like those legends, this’ll go for as long as you like in your cellar. Best of all, somehow Calabretta remains fantastically affordable. If you’ve been on the hunt for a bottle to stash away a case of, you’ve found it!
When you talk about special terroirs in wine, you simply have to talk about Mount Etna. Here, perched nearly a mile above sea level, the indigenous Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio varieties grow on the slopes of an active volcano. This is truly heroic viticulture: Etna last erupted less than a year ago. But the results are worth it. Blasted by sun during the day, then experiencing steep drops in temperature at night, the vines produce fruit of intense concentration with racy structure. The volcanic soils imbue the wines with an undeniable smoky quality. And because of the unique soils here, phylloxera never got quite the same foothold it did in other regions: Many of the Calabretta family’s vines remain own-rooted. The average age of their vineyards is now over 80 years old, which lends further depth and complexity to their wines.
Gaetano Calabretta founded the business in the early 1920s, shifting the family’s focus from a mixed agricultural system to viticulture alone. For most of the 20th century, the Calabretta wines were sold in barrels to restaurant owners and private customers, with some coming from as far away as Piedmont to reserve their coveted stash. The Calabrettas actually didn’t bottle the wine for sale until 1997, as they saw Etna changing rapidly around them and sought to preserve the old ways. They still do things the way they did a century ago. No synthetic pesticide has ever been sprayed in their vines, every bit of work is done by hand, and winemaking is extremely hands-off in the cellar, with totally spontaneous ferments and no fining. Most importantly, like the Barolos of yesteryear (the ones we still enjoy today at 60+ years of age), they age their “Vigne Vecchie” for as long as they feel necessary in massive old oak casks, sometimes up to seven years. And then they age the wine in bottle until they feel it’s ready for release. Needless to say, today’s wine comes out of the gate swinging.
The 2015 “Vigne Vecchie” pours a deep ruby with bricking at the edges, a visual dead ringer for Barolo. The nose is reminiscent of Barolo as well in some respects, with tar and cedar savor in there. But the fruit profile leans darker, with dried black cherries and blackberry liqueur, a dried plum element, backed by hallmark black pepper and volcanic smoke. The palate is medium-plus in body, dense and rich with more dried fruit and booming earth. What must have once been very big tannins indeed are just now resolving. Perfect alongside a hearty meal now, this undeniably has the stuffing to go for years and years. Think of it somewhere between Taurasi and Barolo, with a dash of Burgundian lift, and you’re on the right track. Really, though, “Vigne Vecchie” is a wholly singular bottle, undeniably Calabretta and undeniably Etna!
