2020 Madaudo - Etna Rosso DOC Fumante Contrada San Lorenzo (750ml)

The Madaudo family's winemaking story began in 1945, when Rosario Madaudo's great-grandfather started working a small farm in Villafranca Tirrena, a coastal commune near Messina in northeastern Sicily. Today the family business spans four generations and includes vineyard holdings on the north slope of Mount Etna as well as in Agrigento, run by brothers Alfio and Andrea alongside the younger generation. Sisters Maria Pia and Cristina Madaudo lead the Etna side of the operation from the Tenuta di San Lorenzo, a historic property once linked to the House of Savoy, bringing a modern, sustainability-minded approach to the family's older winemaking roots.

Fumante is produced from a blend of Nerello Mascalese and a small portion of Nerello Cappuccio, grown on volcanic soils in the Contrada San Lorenzo at roughly 765 meters above sea level, on the northwestern edge of the Etna DOC. Many of the vines here are 80 to 100 years old, planted in mineral-rich volcanic ash that gives the fruit its concentration despite the high elevation and cool microclimate. Following fermentation, the wine typically spends about a year aging in wood before a further rest in bottle prior to release.

This Etna Rosso opens with a rich floral bouquet layered with cocoa and coffee notes drawn from its time in wood, along with raspberry, red cherry, and rose. The palate is dry and savory, with good tannin structure and a harmonious, earthy finish typical of the appellation.