Etna Rosso 'A' Rina' Girolamo Russo 2021

Girolamo Russo's Etna Rosso "A' Rina" originates on the northern slope of the volcano, the area that has always been best suited for the cultivation of native red grapes: Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio. The wine expresses all the elegance of Etna's reds, which bring out the finesse of the vines, the minerality of the terroir and the freshness of a climate characterised by considerable temperature excursions. Despite its latitude, this is a mountain wine, which prefers the rarefied refinement of a subtle, clear and deep profile to power and concentration.

'A' Rina' is an Etna Rosso produced by a historic winery in the area. The Girolamo Russo estate is now run by Giuseppe, the founder's son, who carries on the business by continuing to make labels of absolute value. In keeping with tradition, the wine perfectly reflects the composition of the ancient Etna vineyards, composed of Nerello Mascalese and a small percentage of Nerello Cappuccio. The grapes are between 20 and 100 years old and come from plots located in the districts of San Lorenzo, Feudo, Calderara Sottana and Feudo di Mezzo at an altitude between 650 and 800 metres above sea level. The vines, which are partly bush-trained and partly espalier-trained, are located on sandy soils, deriving from ancient volcanic flows. Harvesting is carried out manually in the second part of October. The grapes ferment spontaneously and only with indigenous yeasts, in stainless steel tanks and open vats at a temperature of 28-30 °C, with maceration on the skins lasting about 10 days. The wine is aged in barriques, large Slavonian oak barrels and cement vats for one year and completes the ageing process with at least 6 months in the bottle.

Girolamo Russo's Etna Rosso 'A' Rina' is a perfect label to approach this fascinating volcanic territory and begin to understand its characteristics, before delving into the thousand facets of the universe of the individual districts. In the glass, it has a beautiful, luminous ruby red colour. It seduces with elegant aromas of redcurrants, morello cherries, small berries, delicately spiced hints and touches of medicinal herbs. Medium-bodied, it has a dense but well-integrated tannic texture and ripe, rich, elegant fruit. The finish is of good taste persistence, savoury and fresh.