Skip to main content
Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant
Toggle Navigation Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant Your Cart

2017 Etna Rosso “Crasà Contrada”

Vigneti Vecchio
Discount Eligible $58.00
SOLD OUT

This young, family-run estate high on the northern slopes of Mount Etna has just bottled its first vintage from minuscule plots of very old vines. Planted in 1930, this single-vineyard Nerello Mascalese—co-planted and co-fermented with a smattering of other indigenous varieties—is a statement in power and finesse from Europe’s most active volcano. Recalling smoky ash, white pepper, and brandied cherries, it makes me crave a wood-fired pizza with a rich tomato sauce, hunks of fennel sausage, and crispy bits of singed, blackened crust. The suave mouthfeel and grippy finale lend themselves to pairings with a number of more nuanced dishes as well.

Anthony Lynch


Technical Information
Wine Type: red
Vintage: 2017
Bottle Size: 750mL
Blend: 90% Nerello Mascalese, 10% indigenous varieties (Inzolia, Grecanico, Catarratto)
Appellation: Etna
Country: Italy
Region: Sicily
Producer: Vigneti Vecchio
Winemaker: Carmelo Vecchio
Vineyard: Planted in 1930
Soil: Volcanic
Farming: Organic (practicing)
Alcohol: 14.5%

More from this Producer or Region

About The Region

Sicily

map of Sicily

Italy’s southernmost region and the largest island in the Mediterranean, Sicily has no shortage of sunshine to grow high-quality grapes on a yearly basis. It also does not lack a history of winemaking: since the Greeks settled here almost three millennia ago, the vine has played a major role in the island’s agricultural makeup. Production of cheap bulk wine for blending dominated much of its recent history until now, as we are witnessing a quality revolution that puts forth its great diversity and quality of terroirs, indigenous grape varieties, and local production methods.

While Sicily’s historical reputation is for sweet wines—Marsala and the Muscats of Pantelleria stand out—a number of dry whites and reds are enjoying the spotlight today. The cooler, high-altitude slopes of Etna, with its ashy volcanic soils, have seen an explosion of activity from producers both local and foreign; both whites (primarily from Carricante) and reds (Nerello Mascalese) here are capable of uncommon freshness and finesse. Other noteworthy wine regions are Eloro, where Nero d’Avola gives its best; Noto, an oasis of dry and sweet Moscatos; Vittoria, with its supple, perfumed Frappatos; and Salina, where Malvasia makes thirst-quenching dry whites and deliciously succulent passiti.

Countless foreign invasions over the centuries have given Sicilian architecture and cuisine a unique exotic twist, making it a fascinating destination for gourmands as well as wine importers. With a wealth of dedicated artisans proud to show off the riches of their land, you can bet there are many exciting things still to come from this incredible island.

More from Sicily or Italy

Discount Eligible $60.00
AT CART MAX
Discount Eligible $54.00
AT CART MAX
Discount Eligible $27.00
AT CART MAX
Discount Eligible $59.00
AT CART MAX
Discount Eligible $22.00
AT CART MAX
Discount Eligible $23.00
AT CART MAX
Discount Eligible $52.00
AT CART MAX
Discount Eligible $42.00
AT CART MAX
Discount Eligible $36.00
AT CART MAX
Discount Eligible $60.00
AT CART MAX
Where the newsletter started

Every three or four months I would send my clients a cheaply made list of my inventory, but it began to dawn on me that business did not pick up afterwards. It occurred to me that my clientele might not know what Château Grillet is, either. One month in 1974 I had an especially esoteric collection of wines arriving, so I decided to put a short explanation about each wine into my price list, to try and let my clients know what to expect when they uncorked a bottle. The day after I mailed that brochure, people showed up at the shop, and that is how these little propaganda pieces for fine wine were born.—Kermit Lynch

Read the whole story