2023 Tenuta delle Terre Nere Rosso Calderara Sottana

Calderara Sottana is one of the standout crus on Etna’s northern slope – a jumble of black volcanic rock, pumice and ancient vines that somehow manages to grow wines of real finesse. Marco de Grazia has been working this site for years, and it’s easy to see why he calls it one of his favourites. The vines here dig straight into crumbled lava, producing fruit that’s naturally intense but beautifully balanced.

The 2023 vintage was cooler and slower than recent years, which suited Etna perfectly. Hand-picked fruit, wild ferment, gentle handling, and ageing in old oak – nothing added, nothing rushed.

The wine has that classic Calderara signature: red cherry, blood orange, smoke and mineral grip, all framed by fine, mouth-coating tannins. It feels calm and composed but still full of energy, like it’s holding something back for later. If you’ve ever wondered why people get obsessed with Etna, this is the place to start.

"Terre Nere’s wines all possessed unbelievable freshness and complexity as well as huge perfumes that suggested Pinot Noir…These wines are astonishingly complex and ethereal efforts from the hillsides of Mt. Etna in Sicily."
- Robert Parker