June | Looking Forward: Vigneti Vecchio
by Anthony Lynch
Vigneti Vecchio is one of three small growers we recently introduced from Mount Etna. The name is a reference to the family name of Carmelo Vecchio, who runs the farm with his wife, Rosa La Guzza, as well as a nod to the ancient vines that make up their holdings. Here in Solicchiata, on the volcano’s northern face, Carmelo and Rosa farm a collection of contrade—the rough equivalent of Burgundian climats—while Etna’s steaming summit looms majestically overhead, setting a striking stage for the creation of fine wines.
Vigneti Vecchio’s white had me mesmerized from the very first pour. It defied categorization: a few days of skin contact provided real depth and aromatics I had never encountered, and it elegantly toed the line between rich oxidative textures and smoky reduction. Its mouth-filling opulence did not overshadow its mineral freshness. The 2020 Sciare Vive bianco, with its scents of wild yellow blossoms and sun-ripened stone fruit, echoes the novel delight I found in that first taste.
The three reds Carmelo and Rosa bottle mirror the singular nature of their white. From the suave, velvety Sciare Vive rosso—named for the solidified lava flows that scar the Etnean landscape—to the robust and gritty Contrada Crasà—which features the commanding structure of a Barolo, and promises to age like one—they are interpretations of Etna brimming with Sicilian soul and captivating markers of a great terroir.
They even speak to local history: The Donna Bianca bottling, for instance, is curious for its high percentage of Grenache. As it turns out, Admiral Horatio Nelson was awarded dukedom in 1799 in nearby Bronte for helping to defend Sicily from Napoleon’s army. He hired a French viticulturalist to plant vineyards, and as a result, Grenache found an unlikely home high on Etna. Sourced from a tiny parcel littered with pumice at 820 meters elevation, Donna Bianca is a silky testament to this heritage with fragrant reminders of violets, incense, and blood orange. Vigneti Vecchio’s wines capture everything we love about Etna, and we are savoring the fine vintages already released by this young estate while relishing many more that are sure to come.
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