2024 Terre Nere - Etna Bianco DOC Calderara Sottana Vigne Niche (750ml)
Grown at 600–650 meters on the northern slope of Mount Etna, the 2024 Terre Nere Etna Bianco DOC expresses 100% estate-grown Carricante sourced specifically from the Calderara Sottana subzone in Randazzo. Cultivated across shallow, stony rows heavily interlaced with black volcanic pumice, the vineyard occupies a cooler microclimate far above the plateau dedicated to red varieties. Tenuta delle Terre Nere farms these plots organically, allowing the extremely rocky substrate to restrict vigor and concentrate flavonoids without artificial irrigation or canopy management.
Winemaking & Profile
The crushed grapes ferment freely and rest in large, neutral oak casks for roughly nine months. Finished unfined and unfiltered, the wine retains protective colloid structures and native tannins, yielding a pale straw color with pronounced verticality. Aromatics unfold as sharp citrus peel, fleshy white peach, toasted hazelnut, and understated wild chamomile. The palate delivers a direct line of salinity over a grippy, stone-driven midsection, supported by vibrant malic-acid freshness and closing with a long, savory resonance of crushed shells and dried herbs.
Bracing acidity and pronounced minerality make this bottling ideally suited for high-fat or brightly seasoned dishes that benefit from counterpoint. Serve chilled at 10–12°C alongside grilled whole branzino or turbot, garlic-butter steamed mussels, rosemary-roasted leg of lamb, or arancini filled with ricotta and prosciutto. The wine also stands up well to antipasti plates featuring local capers, marinated octopus, and shaved fennel.