Girolamo Russo
Etna Rosso San Lorenzo Piano delle Colombe 2022
| Denomination | DOC Etna Rosso |
|---|---|
| Size | 0,75 l |
| Alcohol content | 14.5% by volume |
| Area | Sicily (Italy) |
| Grape varieties | 100% Nerello Mascalese |
| Aging | Aged for 18 months in 500-litre oak tonneaux and in second-fill barriques; a minimum of 12 months of bottle ageing. |
- Grape variety and style: Still red from 100% Nerello Mascalese, elegant and refined.
- Origin: Produced at 750m in Contrada San Lorenzo, on mineral-rich volcanic soils.
- Eighty-year-old vines: Grown using the modified alberello (bush vine) system, with a yield of 20 quintals per hectare.
- Winemaking: Indigenous yeasts, 18-day maceration and spontaneous malolactic fermentation.
- Ageing: 18 months in oak, 12 in the bottle. 14.5% vol, awarded 95 points by Vinous.
Description
Type of wine
The Etna Rosso San Lorenzo Piano delle Colombe by Girolamo Russo is a still red wine that embodies the volcanic soul of Sicily through the purity of Nerello Mascalese. In the glass, it presents an intense ruby red hue, revealing clear aromas of blueberry and redcurrant accompanied by distinct earthy notes. On the palate, it is distinguished by an elegant and measured style, supported by a defined tannic texture and a deep mineral trail. The palate is tense and harmonious, with a calibrated structure designed for an evolution over time capable of enhancing its finesse and natural complexity.
Provenance
The grapes originate from a specific parcel located in the Contrada San Lorenzo in Randazzo, on the northern slope of Etna at about 750 metres above sea level. In this characteristic mountain climate, vines of around eighty years old are trained using the modified 'alberello' (bush vine) trellis system, with low yields to ensure maximum concentration. The roots draw nourishment from a sandy volcanic soil, rich in mineral components. The combination of the northern exposure, the altitude, and the dark earth gives the wine an extraordinary tension and verticality, offering a dry palate that is faithful to the identity of the terroir.
How it is produced
The manual harvest, carried out in the last week of October, is followed by fermentation in open tanks started exclusively by indigenous yeasts. The must remains in contact with the skins for eighteen days, ensuring a gradual extraction of colour and phenolic components. After spontaneous malolactic fermentation, the wine matures for eighteen months in second-passage oak barrels. The cycle concludes with a careful final ageing process that integrates the nuances of the wood with the vibrant mineral energy of the volcano, bestowing perfect balance upon the composition.
History and interesting facts
Produced at an altitude of 750 metres in Contrada San Lorenzo, Girolamo Russo's Etna Rosso DOC is an authentic masterpiece of volcanic elegance. The result of eighty-year-old vines grown on sandy soils, this exclusive wine is available in a limited production of just 1,200 bottles. The rigorous manual harvesting of the Nerello Mascalese grapes and natural fermentation with indigenous yeasts preserve its territorial soul. Ageing for 18 months in oak and a further 12 in the bottle defines a taut and deep palate, awarded with an excellent 95 Vinous points.
Awards
-
2022
95/100
Decanter is a wine and lifestyle magazine, published monthly in around 90 countries. The magazine includes industry news, classic guides and advice on wine and spirits.
-
2022
97/100
James Suckling is an influential American wine critic and journalist who worked at Wine Spectator for 30 years. He left the magazine in 2010 to start his own website and guidebook (JamesSuckling.com). He specialises in Italian and Bordeaux wines.
-
2022
96/100
The prestigious international wine guide from the renowned Robert Parker, the world's most experienced and trusted wine taster.
-
2022
96/100
Vinous is the online guide from Antonio Galloni, one of the world's leading wine connoisseurs.
Tasting notes
Perfume
Color
Taste
Serve at:
16 - 18 °C
Longevity:
15 - 25 years
Decanting time:
1 hour
- Start up year: 2005
- Oenologist: Emiliano Falsini
- Bottles produced: 70.000
- Hectares: 18
This is the north face of Europe’s largest active volcano, Mount Etna, in the north-eastern corner of Sicily.
The Russos have 26 hectares of land in and around Passopisciaro, with 15 hectares of vineyards surrounded by olive and hazelnut groves. The vineyards are high up, between 650 and 780 metres above sea level, inland from the beautiful town of Taormina. Many of the free-standing bush vines are over 80 years old, surviving in harmony with Etna’s black, mineral-rich volcanic soil.
Giuseppe works the vineyards organically and makes the wines himself. He vinifies each parcel separately, seeking out their individual identities in a series of wines that reflect the diverse character of their terroirs.
Some lava flows are very recent, too recent even to plant on.
The area is broken up into sectors known as ‘contradas’. Each contrada has a name and is linked to one of Etna’s townships. Read more
| Name | Girolamo Russo Etna Rosso San Lorenzo Piano delle Colombe 2022 |
|---|---|
| Type | Red green still |
| Denomination | Etna DOC |
| Vintage | 2022 |
| Size | 0,75 l |
| Alcohol content | 14.5% by volume |
| Grape varieties | 100% Nerello Mascalese |
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Sicily |
| Vendor | Girolamo Russo |
| Story | History and interesting facts Produced at an altitude of 750 metres in Contrada San Lorenzo, Girolamo Russo's Etna Rosso DOC is an authentic masterpiece of volcanic elegance. The result of eighty-year-old vines grown on sandy soils, this exclusive wine is available in a limited production of just 1,200 bottles. The rigorous manual harvesting of the Nerello Mascalese grapes and natural fermentation with indigenous yeasts preserve its territorial soul. Ageing for 18 months in oak and a further 12 in the bottle defines a taut and deep palate, awarded with an excellent 95 Vinous points. |
| Origin | Contrada San Lorenzo, Randazzo, northern slope of Mount Etna (Sicily, Italy) |
| Climate | Mountain climate |
| Soil composition | Volcanic, sandy soil, rich in minerals |
| Cultivation system | Modified bush vine trellis system |
| Plants per hectare | Five thousand, five hundred |
| Yield per hectare | 20 q |
| Harvest | Last week of October |
| Fermentation temperature | 28 to 30 °C |
| Fermentation | About 10 days |
| Production technique | Fermentation with indigenous native yeasts; maceration on the skins; spontaneous malolactic fermentation; ageing in oak tonneaux and in second-fill barriques |
| Wine making | Maceration on the skins for 18 days; fermentation with indigenous native yeasts (approx. 10 days) at 28–30 °C; spontaneous malolactic fermentation in spring; ageing for 18 months in 500-litre oak tonneaus and in a second-fill barrique, followed by a minimum of 12 months in the bottle. |
| Aging | Aged for 18 months in 500-litre oak tonneaux and in second-fill barriques; a minimum of 12 months of bottle ageing. |
| Year production | 1200 bottles |
| Allergens | Contains sulphites |