Etna Rosso DOC “Calmarossa” 2018 – Santa Maria La Nave

To produce Etna Rosso DOC “Calmarossa” Santa Maria La Nave a delicate and non-invasive vinification took place. The gently crushed skins and must were transferred to stainless steel fermenters. Selected indigenous yeasts were added and the temperature was increased to 26°C. Fermentation and maceration lasted for three weeks with pump-overs to obtain the desired level of extraction. After three weeks’ fermentation the lees were drawn off, Etna Rosso DOC “Calmarossa” Santa Maria La Nave was racked and it underwent malolactic fermentation at 18°C, imparting a softer mouthfeel. The wine was then racked into French oak barrels where it was aged for nine months. The wine was racked, filtered and stabilised. It then received a further six months bottle ageing.

The 2.5 hectare vineyard lies on the south eastern slopes of Mount Etna, on an ancient vineyard site with a pre-phylloxera heart on the steep slope of an old crater. Planted at approximately 8,000 plants per hectare, in the traditional “alberello Etneo” bush method, the vines produce a very limited yield. The climate is humid, with significant rainfall during winter and spring and strong diurnal temperature fluctuations, encouraging a gradual ripening process resulting in rich flavours, balancing acidity and aromatic complexity. The soils are black volcanic sands and rich in minerals. The vineyard is maintained with the utmost respect for the environment, without the use of pesticides and is in conversion to organic status.