2022 Girolamo Russo - Etna Rosso Calderara Sottana (750ml)

Giuseppe Russo grew up watching his father, Girolamo, tend just over a dozen hectares of vines around Passopisciaro and sell the grapes in bulk to help make ends meet. Giuseppe himself trained as a concert pianist and studied literature, but when his father died in 2004, he chose to take over the family's vineyards rather than sell them, founding this estate the following year in Girolamo's name. With no formal winemaking background, Giuseppe leaned on the generation of Etna pioneers working nearby, including Salvo Foti and Frank Cornelissen, absorbing lessons from each. Today he farms organically across roughly fifteen hectares spread over several of Etna's volcanic contrade.

Calderara Sottana comes from the highest section of that contrada near Randazzo, sitting close to 700 meters across two distinct lava flows, where the soil carries more sand than most of Russo's other sites. The vines here average around 70 years old. The wine blends 94% Nerello Mascalese with 6% Nerello Cappuccio, undergoes spontaneous fermentation, then ages eighteen months in used tonneaux followed by at least six months in bottle before release.

This is the lightest and most delicate of Russo's contrada reds, showing underripe mountain berries, spice, and licorice over silky tannins. Its finesse draws frequent comparisons to red Burgundy. Try it with roast poultry, charcuterie, or mushroom-based dishes.