2022 Tenuta di Fessina - Etna Rosso DOC Erse (750ml)

Tenuta di Fessina is the work of Silvia Maestrelli, who left Milan in 2006 to settle on the northeastern slopes of Mount Etna after falling for the region's wines and landscape. She founded the estate in the village of Rovittello the following year, becoming one of the first women to open a winery on the volcano. Maestrelli built her project around protecting Etna's old vines and traditional techniques, farming small parcels on different sides of the mountain to capture the distinct character each site brings to her wines.

Erse is made almost entirely from Nerello Mascalese, rounded out with small amounts of Nerello Cappuccio and the white grape Minnella, a nod to Etna's old-school tradition of vinifying red and white varieties together. The vines grow on the volcanic slopes of Etna, where the mineral-rich lava soil shapes the wine's character from the ground up. After harvest the wine is aged in wooden barrels, a measured process meant to preserve freshness while letting the tannins soften and integrate naturally over time.

The wine pours a bright ruby red, opening with fresh red fruit, graphite, and black pepper alongside delicate floral and mineral notes. The palate is savory and structured, with refined tannins carrying through a long, persistent finish. It pairs nicely with grilled red meats, aged pecorino, or cured salumi.