Contrada Calderara Sottana, Etna Rosso DOC — 2022
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Introduction
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THE WINERY: Winemaking in the Benanti family can be traced back to the late 1800s in Viagrande. This deep-rooted passion for wine is what led Giuseppe Benanti to establish the namesake winery in 1988.
THE WINE: 100% Nerello Mascalese, 50-year-old vines from the Contranda Calderara Sottana vineyard located in the village of Randazzo on the northern slope of Mount Etna.
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Vineyard Profile
- Appellation: Etna D.O.C. Rosso
- Location: Sicily
- Cultivation: Sustainable
- Vine Age: 20 to 60 years old vines
- Soil: Volcanic sands, rich in minerals, with good organic matter content
- Density: 8,000 vinestocks per hectare (3,239 vines per acre)
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Vinification
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Grapes are hand-picked during the 1st and 2nd decade of October, de-stemmed and pressed. Fermentation occurs at a controlled temperature (26°C/78.8°F) in stainless steel vats, with a 21-day long maceration, using a specific indigenous yeast selected in the vineyard by Benanti. The maturation then continues in used tonneaux of French oak for about 12 months and then in stainless steel tanks.
- Aging: French oak for 12 months and then in stainless steel tanks. In the bottle for approximately 10 months
- Bottle Aging: In the bottle for approximately 10 months
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Technical Information
- Varietal Composition: Nerello Mascalese
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Tasting Notes
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Bright ruby red color with spicy aromatics and scents of ripe red fruit. Full-bodied, balanced tannins with structure to age gracefully over the next 10 to 13 years.
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Images
Reviews
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Contrada Calderara Sottana, Etna Rosso DOC — 2022 – Wine Spectator – 91 Points
"A refined red, with a taut, well-knit frame of sandy tannins and orange peel acidity structuring flavors of macerated cherry, oolong tea leaf and minerally hints of smoke and stone that drive the lingering finish."
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Contrada Calderara Sottana, Etna Rosso DOC — 2022 – Vinous – 94 Points
"In Calderara Sottana fashion, the 2022 Etna Rosso Contrada Calderara Sottana smolders up from the glass with a hauntingly dark and mineral-inflected blend of crushed ashen stones, grilled herbs and dusty black currants. It’s soft and enveloping yet possesses a powerful core of dark red fruits complicated by exotic spice. Firm tannins mount toward the close. While youthfully structured and intense, the 2022 maintains a marvelous freshness as a bump of brisk acidity adds lift and hints of mint and licorice fade. This really packs a punch, but it also has the balance for extended cellaring."