Drink This Now: Nerello Mascalese
What we should be drinking more of and a few good reasons why.
Mt. Etna, Sicily, Italy (images courtesy of Vini Franchetti)
You may have noticed it popping up on wine lists— well, when we were still out gleefully thumbing through those magical paper things. Perhaps it’s popped up on your local retailer shelf or on your Instacart or Drizly imbibing options. It’s hard to pinpoint the exact moment somms and importers started getting exciting about this Sicilian grape, but I can certainly recall my vendor reps starting to tote it around more often a few years ago. On a trip to VinItaly, a massive Italian wine conference in fair Verona, two years ago, the Sicily section was hoppin’, in stark contrast to the idea that Sicily was a lesser region held 15-20 years ago.
So, what gives? Was there actually a change in the region, or did we just suddenly get hip to the quality on the island? Perhaps, a little of both. The 1980s saw a stark shift in Sicilian mentality and winemaking. One of the hallmarks was the birth of the Donnafugata winery in 1983, which ushered in a new era of quality-focused winemaking. The decade also saw the introduction of French oak for experimentation at COS, a cooperative winery formed by 3 friends who met studying enology. This was also when we began to see more red grapes being cultivated, after white wine varieties inhabited more than 80% of vineyards until the early 1980s. These developments marked a shift away from focus on bulk Marsala wine production to a new era of quality.
Perhaps the most tectonic shift was the formation of Istituo Regionale della Vite e del Vino, a state-owned organization to conduct research on viticulture, wine production, and marketing. With revered producer Diego Planeta at the helm in the 1990s, IRVV began sending enologists all around the world to be exposed to new viticultural and vinification techniques. The IRVV also brought on Giacomo Tachis as a consultant. Tachis had previously been responsible for the tremendous growth in popularity of Antinori wines in Tuscany and the creation of new cuvées at the winery, such as Tignanello. Tachis was largely responsible for the “Super Tuscan” movement. In Sicily, he followed similar suit, recommending blending French varieties to the indigenous to make bolder wines to appeal to an international (i.e. American) palate. He told Sicilians that broad-shouldered Nero d’Avola was the red grape to hang their hat on if they wanted to see an increase in financial health. Nerello Mascalese, alternatively, should be all but abandoned, given that it was pale, tart, and sometimes volatile-- basically the opposite of the rich, tannic Cabernet Sauvignons many wealthy Americans were loving to chew along with their dinners during the economic boom of the 90s.
While there were vignerons who continued to work with Nerello Mascalese, predominately those in and around Mt. Etna on the east coast of the island, it’s safe to assume that the majority of marketing efforts and importer interest landed elsewhere, given the need to prioritize the bottom line. And, while the Nerello was still being produced, by and large, it wasn’t receiving the quality and care in the winemaking process that it does today. Thus, the beautiful wild delicacy of Nerello Mascalese remained both literally and figuratively shaded by volcanic Etna.
As an energetic new generation took the helm around 2000, emboldened by the increase in quality of Sicilian wine in the past 20 years, new life was breathed into Nerello Mascalese and the Etna region. The potential for elegance produced by the light-bodied Nerello Mascalese in harmony with the volcanic soils of Mt. Etna was undeniable to these eager vignerons. Today, we are fortunate to have producers such as Terre Nere and Passopisciaro with vines up to 100 years old. Both began their estates around 2000, purchasing land where Nerello was still thriving. These producers have always kept chemical-free vineyards and have deep commitments to maintaining sustainability on their land. In fact, the climate on and around Etna makes for nearly ideal growing conditions. A large number of Vignerons practice without herbicides or pesticides, as the ample supply of sunshine combined with high altitudes make disease pressures minimal. This combined with a respect for preservation of the unique terroir make for meticulous care in the vineyards.
Passopisciaro Vineyard
The wines of Mt. Etna have become a wine lover’s dream. We often speak of a wine’s expression of place. What could be more riveting than finding your nose in a glass of grapes grown on the active volcano of a Mediterranean island? This expression of terroir comes at a small fraction of the price of many of the Old World Classics, like Burgundy and Barolo.
We have a number of these wines making their way across the Atlantic now. If you’re a lover of Burgundy, or any sort of old world Pinot, Nerello Mascalese from Etna is a must-try. All of the wines offer an expression of earthiness, along with wild sour red fruit, like strawberries and cherries. It’s also not uncommon to find notes of the native mandarin orange and olive presenting in the glass. There are few regions offering naturally grown wines of this caliber at this price. Check Below for a few of our favorites.
Tenuta delle Terre Nere Etna Rosso $22
Passopisciaro Passorosso $29
Benanti Etna Rosso $23
Graci Etna Rosso $20
Further Reading:
https://www.winemag.com/2019/04/16/beginners-guide-to-the-wines-of-sicily/
https://timatkin.com/cork-talk/sicily/
https://www.vinifranchetti.com/passopisciaro/the-wines/passo-rosso/
http://www.tenutaterrenere.com/en/
Palmento, A Sicilian Wine Odyssey by: Robert V. Camuto