Sicilian native Antonio Bevilacqua, an engineer by trade, began buying land on Mt. Etna in 2008 to produce some of Sicily's finest wines. Founding Terrazze dell'Etna, he has dedicated himself to the care and restoration of the territory he acquired, including the traditional terraced vineyards that lend their name to his winery.
Today, his daughter Alessia manages the estate’s 40 hectares of vineyards, alongside 20 that they rent, all planted between 600 and 950 metres above sea level on the northwest side of Mt. Etna. This unique position ensures warm days and cool nights while the volcanic soil creates low vigour, producing wines of great intensity and a lovely perfume from low-yielding vines.
Antonio’s consultant oenologist, Roberto Muccifori, marries the delicate intensity of Etna’s wines with a freshness and definition that few others have achieved. Although most of their vineyards are planted with Nerello Mascalese, they also grow a small amount of Nerello Capuccio to help soften the natural tannins of this robust Sicilian grape.
The ‘Ciuri’ is made from Nerello Mascalese vinified ‘in bianco’, without skin contact. It is unoaked, offering great depth and intensity and wonderful length. Their young Etna Rosso, ‘Carusu’, which translates to ‘young boy’ in Sicilian dialect, is made from 80% Nerello Mascalese and 20% Nerello Cappuccio. It ages for six months in used 500-litre barrels and another year in bottle before release. The fruit is vibrant and mineral with lovely length on the finish. The jewel in Terrazze dell'Etna’s crown is their ‘Cirneco’. Made solely from Nerello Mascalese, it is scented and fresh, with oak ageing contributing texture to the palate without detracting from the delicate yet dynamic fruit.
The fruit for this wine comes from vineyards in the Municipality of Randazzo on the northwest side of Etna. At 600 meters above sea level, the vines are planted at roughly 7500 plants per hectare and are an average of 30 years old. The soils here are volcanic, with dark soil born from the disintegration of ancient lava flows. The vines are trained using the Etneo head-trained system.
The 2022 vintage was rainier than usual, with 549mm of rainfall, compared to the average of 458mm. Temperatures were on the same levels as the previous year apart from June, which was warmer than average, resulting in riper grapes in some plots. Overall, it was a very generous and healthy vintage, with higher production levels compared to the year before but still in line with the average.
Fermentation took place with maceration on the skins and thorough pump overs and delestage for at least 40 days. Malolactic fermentation occurred spontaneously, and the wine was aged in stainless steel tanks for six months and further six months in barrel. The wine was then aged in bottle for 12 months before release.
An elegant wine with aromas of ripe red fruit and spicy nuances. These vibrant notes give way to a well structured body consisting of round tannins and a clean, lingering finish.
