The Nerello Mascalese grapes for the Etna Rosso Diciassettesalme come from the contrada of the same name. “Diciasettesalme” indicates the 25-hectare Cru, which corresponds to 17 (diciasette in Italian) Salme, an antique Sicialian unit of measurement. The lava-clay soil in the vineyard yields a wine with strength, dense tannins and an intense ruby red color. On the nose, mixed berry perfumes turn softly into herbal notes, such as mauve, thyme and juniper, interlaced with the mineral sensations typical of the variety and vineyards. Perfectly balanced tannins finish with a balsamic note.
The 2022 Etna Rosso Diciassettesalme has a richly inviting bouquet of mocha, plum sauce, sweet sage and confectionery spice. Elegant textures of pure silk host polished red and blue fruits alongside tantalizing acidity. It tapers off structured and long with a tart berry saturation, edgy tannins and a pleasant bitter tone.
Balanced, seductive and velvety with aromas of sour cherries, warm herbs and some dried spices. Medium-bodied with bright acidity. Racy and succulent with a savory, peppery finish and length. Drink or hold.
The 2021 Etna Rosso Diciassettesalme shows dusty minerals and dried fruit aromas. This wine generally has more muscle and dark fruit compared to the Zottorinoto, which tends to be floral and more delicate in character. Diciassettesalme is fresh and linear, delivering all the basics of Nerello Mascalese from this mighty Sicilian volcano. The vineyard is located just under the Cottanera winery at 780 meters in elevation and planted on light or gray lava rock. The soils are unique to this site. The wine spends 28 to 30 days on the skins followed by 10 months in oak.
A savory and vibrant red with notes of tapenade, sun-dried tomatoes, raspberries and cherry stones. Tight and firm, with a medium body and tight tannins. Excellent focus. Nerello mascalese. Drink or hold.
Brilliant ruby red. On the nose there are primary notes of mustard seeds, dried rose petals, raspberries, ripe cherries and subtle resinous tones. Hearty on the palate with tightly woven tannins, punchy, stoney, finishing with polished red fruit.
Slightly reductive on the nose, but after a bit of air you are greeted with notes of crushed herbs, spiced plums and dried roses. Medium-bodied with underlying mineral character. Juicy and flavorful on the palate. Best after 2024.
Elegant, flinty pale ruby. A bit reductive on the nose at first, then cold smoke, almost bacon, reverberating with geranium. Dense and very juicy on the palate, also shows fine fruity-sweet components, seems nicely polished in the back, finishes with both juicy and salty.
The Cottanera 2020 Etna Rosso Diciassettesalme is lean in texture and very true to Nerello Mascalese with dusty, dark fruit and ashy tones of campfire amber and scorched mineral. I like the simplicity of this wine and its easy-drinking style, which would face off just fine with a classic plate of cacio e pepe, a favorite dish of Roman cuisine. In fact, you taste a hint of black pepper on the close. This is a 30,000-bottle production.
The wet, gravely scent of fresh rain on cobblestones joins red apple and cherries on the nose before the palate offers cherries, strawberries, vanilla and cola with a warm, spiciness at the back. Polished tannins coat the mouth before acid punches through.”
The Cottanera 2019 Etna Rosso Diciassettesalme offers a lean and pure expression of Nerello Mascalese without too many extra bells or whistles. The wine finishes fermentation in oak and continues its evolution in large casks for eight months. There are dusty notes that frame cassis and sour cranberry. But both the fruity and the mineral sides of the wine are well-contained and measured. Diciassettesalme offers a highly drinkable and accessible side to Etna.
Bright, radiant ruby red. On the nose of rich red berries, a hint of flint, delicate toast, then ripe cherries in the aftertaste. On the palate clear and radiant, with the tightest, salty tannin, spans a wide range, with emphasis and the most delicate consumption.
Still very young, this Etna red has attractive, bright red-berry, wild-herb and candied-orange aromas. The palate has a level of creaminess that's unusual for this appellation, but behind that is a solid tannin structure that powers the moderately dry, mineral finish. Drink or hold.
Medium ruby red. Intriguing scents of red raspberry, cherry and hints of wet earth on the nose. The palate is refined with excellent freshness and purity, mirroring the bouquet with additional notes of spices and tobacco leaf. Finishes long and precise with mineral nuances. Sourced from a 700 m high vineyard in the Diciassettesalme contrada. Matured 8 months in large oak casks.
Clear, medium dense garnet red. Opens with pronounced metallic notes, then beetroot with strawberry in the background. On the palate, crisp acidity, dense tannins, nicely layered fruit, salty and firm drive.
Aromas of underbrush, Mediterranean herb, eucalyptus and red berry waft out of the glass. The bright medium-bodied palate features juicy morello cherry, raspberry, baking spice and a hint of hazelnut alongside fine-grained tannins.
Cottanera's 2017 Etna Rosso Diciassettesalme, with fruit from a contrade in Castiglione di Sicilia, is a svelte and polished expression of Nerello Mascalese that shows classy elegance and balanced intensity. This mid-weight wine exhibits a bright, almost glossy texture with delicate aromas of wild rose, bitter almond, mountain herb and crushed granite stone. Don't underestimate those tannins. Although you don't initially notice them, you are made clearly aware of how long and steady this wine remains on the finish thanks to that inner structure. Diciassettesalme has made leaps and bounds forward in quality and cellar-worthiness over these past few years. About 17,500 bottles were produced.
There’s a touch of reduction at first, but this soon opens to reveal wild strawberries, citrus and red peppers. Medium body, firm tannins and a tangy, mineral finish. Drink now.
Deep red-ruby. Delicate floral red cherry and mineral aromas on the nose. Tight and sappy in the mouth, with firm acids giving shape to the ripe flavors of berries, sweet spices, and mocha. Conveys an impression of extract but finishes with polished tannins and outstanding freshness and length.
Aromas of ripe dark-skinned berry, exotic spice, espresso and a whiff of Mediterranean brush lift out of the glass. Reflecting the nose, the tense, linear palate offers Marasca cherry, licorice, clove, wild herb and coffee bean alongside taut, close-grained tannins that give the finish grip.
A pure nerello mascalese with firm and silky tannins, dark chocolate and spice. Medium to full body, firm and silky tannins and a juicy and delicious finish. Drink now.
Deep red. Flint and chewy, red licorice complement small red/dark berries on the nose and in the mouth. Ripe and easygoing, this lacks the complexity of Cottanera’s best wines, but makes an excellent easy-going Etna Rosso.
Aromas of forest, scorched earth, dark spice and a tosted note lift from the glass. The aromas follow through to the palate along with dried morello cherry, grilled sage anda hint of coconut while close-grained tannins provide support.
Aromas of dark berries and black spices lead the nose on this polished red. The concentrated but refined palate delivers crushed raspberries, licorice and mineral notes framed in velvety tannins. Drink 2017-2024.
