Notable improvements for Etna sparkling wines. Sparkling wine production is becoming increasingly popular on the volcano with interesting results. Classic method sparkling wines from the increasingly long aging periods.
Volcanic in name and in fact, are the effervescent soul of an explosive territory. Spumanti dell’Etna, classic method bubbles that tell of a territory and two main grape varieties that mark a style and rightfully place these wines among the excellence of Italian sparkling wines.
The Etna Sparkling Wine Association.
Telling, gathering and promoting them is done by Spumanti dell’Etna, an association with an evocative name that brings together producers from the Etna area, chaired by Francesco Chittari.
Conditio sine qua non
to be part of the association to produce classic method on Etna (for the record there are also Charmat but they are not part of the promotion project).
Varieties are not decisive although, it is evident, Nerello vinified in white or rose, and Carricante they take the lead. What characterizes these wines, whether Doc, Vsq or Igt, are the moderately long stays on the lees.
Etna, I am taught, is characterized by slowly flowing eruptions…lava flows slowly but unstoppably down the sides of the mountain. It almost seems that the pace of evolution of these wines resembles her, slow and inexorable. So months go by, years go by, and more and more experimentation goes from 24 to 36 to 48 to 60 … up to 90, 120 months. Numbers of months spent on the lees grow as well as technique grows and the producers’ mastery of it. Increasingly good, increasingly experienced in sparkling wine as well, but above all increasingly aware of the potential that this type of wine represents.
The presentation event
The Association organizes an annual public and press presentation event dedicated to classic method sparkling wines. Edition 2023 featured historical and spectacular places in the city of Catania such as Palazzo Biscari. City so close and so “overseen” by the Mountain and yet still so unaccustomed to the consumption of these bubbles. Etna’s sparkling wines have great personality and no longer fear comparison with other great bottle-fermented wines whether Franciacorta or Trento (to name two representative names). From those big names over the years they have taken inspiration and learned a lot, and today we can finally talk about an Etna style for bubbles as well.
The style of Etna’s sparkling wines
Classic method sparkling wines from long aging periods, I have already said, from the moderate dosages (by vocation but also because they were born in a historical moment where the consumer’s taste wants the driest wine), blanc de noir, blanc de blanc or rosé. Suspending judgment for a moment on the rosés, where in my opinion a reference style is lacking and experimentation is still going on, as far as the vocation of Nerello and Carricante to give sparkling bases and later bubbles is concerned one element immediately jumped out at me, the color. Bright yellow, fluorescent in places. Said like that, it sounds strange, but especially the comparison with other bubblies from other territories has been crucial in highlighting how these Etna sparkling wines have a Deep, intense, bright, three-dimensional color. Really eye-catching. The taste is sharp, becomes softer and fresher although multifaceted, over the course of longer aging, especially if we are talking about Nerello in white. Carricante in my opinion more interesting in the medium term, deep and mouthwatering in flavor, textural on the palate.
Faceted sparkling wines
Patience is needed with these sometimes resilient wines. Great on their own as an aperitif They are at their best when paired at the table, Lending itself to an almost endless array of pairings. From meat, fish, and pasta dishes to vegetarian and vegan options. Faceted is the adjective best associated with these products, precisely because of their immense versatility.
The taste of Etna’s sparkling wines is memorable, but not for that reason suitable for all palates. A neophyte consumer’s first taste must be made consciously, and it could prove to be really intense. But after the first sip he is unlikely to ask for a second. Company as Nicosia, Murgo and Tenute Mannino are investing heavily in terms of numbers and space in the experimentation and production of these wines by beginning to provide the market not only with varieties of products but also with refinements.
Suggestive tasting of the first 120-month magnums of Murgo, 100% Nerello in white. An ageless and timeless wine, as if born yesterday, it elegantly wore its 10 years on the lees. Another surprising taste was that of Desto, noteworthy the 36-month brut as well as the newborn 90-month. But my great discovery was the work of Antichi Vinai 1877, a family business that has hit the mark with its Kettles. Complex, distinctive, and not at all trivial, they proved to be quite a discovery.
TO READ THE WINE DESCRIPTIONS, WITH SCORE AND AVERAGE SHELF PRICE, CLICK ON THE TABS BELOW.
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