Attia Nerello Mascalese 2020

The Attia Nerello Mascalese is a 100% Nerello Mascalese from Davide Bentivegna’s Etnella estate, sourced from multiple parcels across the north and northeast slopes of Mount Etna. Vineyards sit between 600 and 1000 meters above sea level on volcanic basalt and ash soils, with vines trained in the traditional alberello (bush-vine) method. Many parcels are ungrafted, with some vines over 100 years old. The wine undergoes a short maceration on the skins, fermented spontaneously with indigenous yeasts, then bottled unfined and unfiltered. Sulfite additions are kept to a strict minimum in line with Vinnatur guidelines no more than 30mg/L total on reds. The result is a wine that keeps Nerello’s transparency front and center: pale ruby, light-to-medium body, and driven by acid rather than extraction. On the nose: tart dark cherry, wild strawberry, and tomato leaf, with a flinty, mineral backbone from the volcanic soils. The palate is fresh and savory, with cranberry-like acidity, some grip on the finish, and a hint of citrus pith. It drinks closer to a Gamay or light Pinot Noir than to a structured southern Italian red. Classified as Terre Siciliane IGT, as Etnella’s wines are produced outside or above the strict Etna Rosso DOC boundary a designation that gives Davide flexibility to work across his 7 contrade without blending constraints.