PIETRADOLCE Contrada Rampante Vigna Barbagalli Single Vineyard - Etna 2017 Bottle

Description

There is something genuinely humbling about drinking a wine born from vines that have survived for over a century. This 2017 single vineyard Etna Rosso is a beautiful example. It is crafted from a tiny and ancient plot of Nerello Mascalese vines where some are 120 years old, tucked away 900 metres up the volcanic slopes of Mount Etna.

Often called the Pinot Noir of the Mediterranean, Nerello Mascalese is famous for its pale colour and elegance. Because these pre phylloxera vines are so old, they bring a depth and soul to the wine that younger plants just cannot reach, all while keeping the glass feeling light and graceful.

It captures that wild and smoky Sicilian spirit perfectly. You will find bright notes of wild strawberries and dried flowers on the nose, grounded by a lovely flinty earthiness. On the palate, it is silky and nimble. It has a firm mineral backbone and a hint of saltiness that tells the story of its high altitude volcanic home. It has all the finesse of a top tier Burgundy but with a rugged volcanic character all its own. This is a brilliant and soulful wine for those who value character and elegance over sheer power.

Because of its bright acidity and those lovely mineral notes, this wine is incredibly versatile at the dinner table. You should treat it similarly to how you would pair a fine Pinot Noir or a lighter Nebbiolo, looking for dishes that match its elegance rather than overpowering it. Think mushrooms, roasted game and poultry and aged cherese like a mature pecorino.

ROBERT PARKER 96
"This is the top wine of Pietradolce .... Made with fruit from pre-phylloxera vines from one of the highest elevation vineyards in the appellation (at 950 meters above sea level), this is always a study in elegance, and the integrity of the fruit transcends most problematic vintage variations thanks to the hearty resilience of the vines and their extended root systems. This wine shows composure and equilibrium with an incredibly glossy or silky quality of fruit with berry, smoke, tar and campfire ash. That old-vine concentration and power (with 15% alcohol) also comes through clearly. Only 2,500 bottles were released. Drink 2022-2040"

DECANTER 95
Drinking Window: 2022 - 2045
Barbagalli is a one-hectare amphitheatre of 80- to 100-year-old vines in Contrada Rampante on Etna's northern slopes at 950m, producing up to 2,000 bottles. It undergoes maceration on the skins for 18 days in concrete tanks, followed by 20 months in French tonneaux. It has a huge structure paired with masses of freshness characterised by a balsamic character and clean acidity. The wood has yet to integrate but it's clear that this is one of Etna's finest reds: black cherry, earth, dark berries and some dried fruit give it a sense of plushness, while the fine tannins and lively acidity give it the legs to last.

JAMES SUCKLING 95
Layers of smoke, ash, crushed walnuts and cranberries on the nose. It’s medium-to full-bodied with sleek, tight tannins. Lots of ripe and dried red fruit on the palate with citrus peel and tobacco, too. Precise and tight finish. Lots of old-vine magic here. Drinkable now, but better in two or three years.

VINOUS 94
Drinking window: 2026 - 2032
The dark and sleek 2017 Etna Rosso Barbagalli opens with a mentholated freshness, displaying crushed red plums, blackberries, savory herbs and white smoke. This shows the warmth of the vintage through its masses of ultra-ripe red and black fruits, yet balance is achieved through cool-toned acidity as a tinge of balsamic spice embellishes the close. Grippy and saturating, the 2017 lingers incredibly long and still tannic.