This Etna Rosso, with some interesting varietals, resulted in a good blend of fruit, herbaceous, and earth notes…
Name: Calderara Sottana Etna Rosso
Vintage: 2013
Producer: Tenuta delle Terre Nere
Region/Country: Sicily, Italy
Grape Varietal(s): Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio
Consumed: At Le Club Chasse et Pêche in Montreal, to celebrate someone’s 40th birthday.
Recommended By: The sommelier – it was the restaurant’s last bottle, too.
Cost: $122 (at the restaurant)
Bottle Presentation: Old-World style, but clean and easy to read label.
Appearance: Pale ruby colour.
Nose: Notes of cactus, red berries (raspberries, cranberries, sour cherries), red licorice, and bubble gum.
Taste: Light body, high, somewhat grippy tannins, and medium-to-high acidity. Flavours included red berries (sour cherries, cranberries, raspberries), earth, and garrigue/herbaceous notes (cactus).
Finish: Medium finish with red berries and earth.
Overall Impression: We had never heard of the varietals in this wine, so decided to give it a try. We weren’t disappointed. Besides an intriguing taste of cactus, this Etna Rosso paired beautifully with the rack of lamb and fries, and it also worked with a wild boar dish. We truly enjoyed the balanced blend of fruit, herbaceous, and earthy notes this Sicilian wine offered. Too bad it was the restaurant’s last bottle.
Rating (from 70 to 100): 88/100
Value: 2.5/5