In the world of wine, the bridge over the Strait of Messina is called nerello mascalese. Late ripening, little colour and structure, lots of flavour. That's the identikit of a variety, increasingly appreciated for its aromatic finesse, which links Sicily and Calabria. On this journey we identified two very small vineyards that represent something very original. The first is on the Sila mountains, the territory of Rovito is historically linked to the grape variety, precisely in northern Calabria it expresses a unique register of flowers and citrus sensations. The work of rediscovering the grape once much more widespread in the area has been carried out by the virtuous Tenuta del Travale, Eleuteria is a wonderful wine. From the Cosenza area, we move to Etna, the reference area for the grape variety. Within the offer of a well-known winery such as Firriato, there is a worthy project that requires a narrative in itself: Signum Aetne, the Symbol of Etna. It is a 150-year-old grape variety that dodged phylloxera, lending a red that stands out stylistically for character and definition. The two wines invite us to travel in the wake of a historical byline.

Eleuteria 2019

Etna Rosso Signum Aetnae Ris. 2014

selected by Gambero Rosso


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