Calabretta, Nerello Mascalese, Vigne Vecchie, Sicily, Italy, 2015

Overview of the Wine
Calabretta’s vineyards are located nearly a half mile above sea level in the black volcanic soils of Etna’s north slope, between Randazzo and Castiglione di Sicilia. There, Calabretta farms roughly seven hectares of mostly 70- to 80-year-old vines—many of them ungrafted—on stepped terraces supported by stone walls.

Since the winery’s founding in 1900, the Calabretta family has farmed and produced wines from Etna’s ancient indigenous varieties—including Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio—in the mountain’s unique noble vineyards.

Historically, the family had sold its wine in sfuso or in barrel to restaurants and to private customers, many of whom travelled long distances to pick up their wine. But in 1997, third- and fourth-generation father and son Massimo and Massimiliano Calabretta decided to bottle their best wine under their own label to ensure the winemaking traditions of their family and Etna would not be lost.

The vineyard practices sound modern but are in fact rooted in the past. They avoid using chemical pesticides or herbicides, and they harvest by hand, starting around the second week of October. Fermentations are carried out exclusively with wild yeasts.

Calabretta is part of the Triple A group – which stands for Agricoltori (Farmer) Artigianale Artisti. It’s a collective of wineries across Europe that that includes E.Pepe, Radikon, A. Occhipinti, Foradori and SRC in Italy. The vineyards, planted piede franco (ungrafted rootstock), are mostly in Contrade Calderara and no chemicals have ever been used. Over the last few years Massimiliano has planted 60,000 new vines, also piede franco.

Coming from both old vineyards and younger plants, Carricante di Calabretta stands out for its natural freshness and excellent structure. Vinified in white and left to mature in steel only, what results is a particularly tactile, bright and elegant wine, traced by a clear minerality.

Grape / Blend
Nerello Mascalese

Origin
Sicily, Italy

Winemaker's Tasting Notes
The color is ruby red, almost garnet from the aging. On the nose, it is intense, persistent and ethereal with a hint of vanilla, while also earthy. The flavor is mineral and austere with balanced tannins, creating a silky finish. The high acidity gives it the ability to age.

93 Points - Vinous
The 2015 Nerello Mascalese Vigne Vecchie is simply stunning, erupting from the glass with a burst of crushed black cherries, cloves, blood orange and hints of dusty earth. This is soft-textured, nearly fleshy in feel, with a core of tart red berry fruits offset by sour citrus as rosy inner florals form toward the close. It finishes with staining length and concentration, just lightly structured, leaving a sensation of hard red candies to fade. This is a vibrant vintage of Vigne Vecchie, but it possesses the balance for further evolution. (EG)

Product size: 750ml