Vinupetra Viti Centenarie Rosso DOC 2018

A dark, powerful red wine from Mount Etna with unusual aromatic intensity. Density and power take centre stage, held together by herbaceous freshness and an almost saline, volcanic streak. The 2018 already drinks with pleasure young, yet clearly has years of development still ahead of it.

The grapes grow in the Contrada Porcaria, Vigna Calderara plot, in the municipality of Castiglione di Sicilia on the northern slope of Mount Etna at 580 metres above sea level. The black soils of cooled lava, volcanic ash and sand give freshness and complexity. In Sicilian dialect, Vinupetra means wine produced on a soil full of stones. The old vines are trained in the traditional alberello bush-vine system, a method recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage practice, grown without wire or concrete posts and supported only by chestnut stakes. The vineyard is farmed by hand and with natural means.

80% Nerello Mascalese, 10% Nerello Cappuccio, 10% Grenache. 30% of the grapes are pressed with their stems, the must remains at least 15 days in wooden vats, fermented with native yeasts from the palmenti of Mount Etna. Alcoholic fermentation lasts 12 days, after which the wine ages for 12 to 18 months in 225- and 500-litre casks and at least a year in bottle. No biotechnology is used, only light filtration and a very minimal addition of sulphites at bottling.

Supple and dense, with sweet, beguiling fruit, herbaceous freshness, gripping power and a long finish. On the nose, macerated blackberries, cassis liqueur and black cherries, alongside dark chocolate, coffee, smoked meat, grilled rosemary, violets, truffle and liquorice.

A wine for intense cuisine with concentrated sauces: Ibérico presa with warm bean salad, flank steak with whiskey barbecue sauce, or wild mushrooms with raisins on pearl barley and cinnamon risotto.

Racking and bottling follow the phases of the moon, and each bottle is numbered, with its number printed on the main label. 13.5% vol., dry. Decant well ahead of time and serve lightly chilled.