2022 Girolamo Russo - Etna Rosso DOC San Lorenzo (750ml)

The 2022 Girolamo Russo Etna Rosso San Lorenzo presents structured, age-worthy Nerello Mascalese from eight-decade-old bush vines situated at 750 meters on Mount Etna’s northern flank. Grown in the San Lorenzo contrada near Randazzo, the grapes cultivate in free-standing rows across volcanic soils that balance sand and stone, yielding a wine defined by concentration and slate-driven minerality. Founder Giuseppe Russo manages the fifteen-hectare property using dry farming and organic viticulture practices inherited from his family’s deep roots in Passopisciaro. Vineyards that prioritize long-term health over volume naturally produce fruit with tighter skins and deeper pigment profiles. To capture this, the approximately ninety-seven percent Nerello Mascalese and three percent Nerello Cappuciò undergo primary fermentation in stainless steel with extended skin contact, building phenolic complexity before transferring to neutral French barriques for eighteen months. A subsequent six-month bottle rest allows the components to integrate without compromising primary fruit expression.

Tasting Profile & Recommended Pairings

• Primary Aromatics: Red plum, tart blueberry, dried lavender, cinnamon bark, and wet basalt
• Palate Structure: Medium body, pronounced acidity, firm but digestible tannins, persistent saline finish
• Ideal Matches: Slow-roasted lamb shoulder, braised wild boar ragù, roasted root vegetables with sage, and aged hard cheeses such as Caciocavallo or aged Pecorino

Each pour reflects the dramatic nighttime temperature drops of the high-altitude vineyards, delivering a complex, food-friendly expression of Sicily’s most terroir-expressive red zone.