2019 Vin de France Muscatellu “Morta Maió” Non MutéAntoine-Marie Arena
France | Corsica
$57
Producers
In 2005, Catania natives Cesare Fulvio and Federica Turillo left their jobs in the city for a simpler life in Randazzo, on the northern slopes of Mount Etna. Their new home was a small farm surrounded by two hectares of terraced vineyards at Contrada Pino, elevation 800 meters. They renovated the property’s ancient palmento, a traditional farmhouse featuring an old press and large fermentation vats made of lava stone, and began to work the 120-year-old vines organically and biodynamically. The grapes are stomped by foot in these vats, and then an open-air fermentation takes place before the wine is aged in old 500-liter tonneaux and bottled unfiltered. These primitive, yet time-tested techniques yield a profound red wine full of depth, liveliness, and old-school, rustic character. Its intensely gripping, ashy-fine tannin is a trademark of wines from Contrada Pino.
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2019 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | 90% Nerello Mascalese, 10% Nerello Cappuccio |
Appellation: | Etna Rosso |
Country: | Italy |
Region: | Sicily |
Producer: | Masseria del Pino |
Winemaker: | Federica Turillo and Cesare Fulvio |
Vineyard: | 1.7 ha total, 120 years |
Soil: | Volcanic |
Aging: | Wine is aged in 500L, old, oak barrels for 15 months |
Farming: | Biodynamic (practicing) |
Alcohol: | 13% |
Masseria del Pino Italy | Sicily | Etna Rosso
Masseria del Pino Italy | Sicily
Vigneti Vecchio Italy | Sicily | Carricante Sicilia
Riofavara Italy | Sicily | Sicilia Noto
Grottafumata Italy | Sicily | IGT Terre Siciliane
Vigneti Vecchio Italy | Sicily | Terre Siciliane Rosso
Driving down the dusty road to Masseria del Pino, Cesare Fulvio and Federica Turillo’s little farm upslope from Randazzo, it is hard to tell which century we are living in. This is Etna in all its pastoral serenity, with only the sights, scents, and sounds of the mountain to stimulate the senses.
This simple, peaceful lifestyle is precisely what the couple envisioned when they settled here in 2005. Catania natives, they left their jobs—Cesare as a commercial air pilot, Federica as an archery instructor—to cultivate the two hectares of terraced vineyards at Contrada Pino, elevation 800 meters. They renovated the property’s ancient palmento, a traditional farmhouse featuring an old press and large fermentation vats made of lava stone, and began to work the 120-year-old vines, plus some olive trees and vegetable gardens, according to organic and biodynamic principles.
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.
Masseria del Pino Italy | Sicily | Etna Rosso
Vigneti Vecchio Italy | Sicily | Terre Siciliane Rosso
Vigneti Vecchio Italy | Sicily | Carricante Sicilia
Riofavara Italy | Sicily
Grottafumata Italy | Sicily
Portelli Italy | Sicily | Vittoria Frappato
Riofavara Italy | Sicily
Masseria del Pino Italy | Sicily
Riofavara Italy | Sicily | Sicilia Noto
Grottafumata Italy | Sicily
Riofavara Italy | Sicily | Sicilia Noto
Let the brett nerds retire into protective bubbles, and whenever they thirst for wine it can be passed in to them through a sterile filter. Those of us on the outside can continue to enjoy complex, natural, living wines.
Inspiring Thirst, page 236
Drinking distilled spirits, beer, coolers, wine and other alcoholic beverages may increase cancer risk, and, during pregnancy, can cause birth defects. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/alcohol
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