Wine produced from Nerello Mascalese has intrigued and delighted me since my first visit to the Etna region of Sicily in 2015 where I was privileged to be hosted by a local family.
For most of the latter half of the 20th century, Sicily was a bulk wine producer and even by 2013 still ranked second in Italy for total production after Veneto. Things began to change in the 1980s when large companies like Planeta started producing international varieties mimicking the New World, and their apparent success combined with cheap land prices attracted investors from the North of Italy who established large mechanised estates on land in Sicily’s centre previously devoted to grain. Finally, in 2011, local producers decided to put an end to the unregulated practices of these North Italian producers and created a DOC to cover all of Sicily in 2011, with a primary aim of protecting local varieties like Nero D’Avola and Grillo. Meanwhile the turn of the century saw growing interest in the rescue and revival several ancient vine varieties from near extinction, one of which was my now beloved Nerello Mascalese.
Nerello Mascalese is an ancient grape variety traditionally grown on the slopes of Mt Etna. The family who hosted me were not commercial producers but had land planted in this grape at Contrada Verzella, Castiglione di Sicilia, (just across the road from the new Cavanera Etna winery and cellar door of Firriato). They made their own wine which I tried at an extended family lunch - decidedly rustic, but nonetheless interesting with its sour cherry, herbal-edged and mineral flavours. On a short return visit last year I discovered that the family vineyard I had so much enjoyed the wines from had now been sold to a major producer.
The family Nerello Mascalese vineyard at Contrada Verzella
Around the middle of the previous decade, a number of producers began to recognize that the transparent nature of this variety has a unique ability to display the distinctive lava-based terroir. The grape itself has been shown by DNA profiling to be a cross between the well-known Italian Sangiovese and the less well-known Calabrian Mantonico Bianco used to make both dry and passito-style wines.
One of the early champions of Nerello Mascalese leading its resurgence was Salvo Foti who worked with the Benanti family. Other noted producers of the grape include Franchetti at Passopisciaro, Campore at Rendazzo, and the afore-mentioned Firriato Cavanera. Planeta have become a major exponent and there is now a host of capable boutique producers as well. Last year I had an opportunity to re-visit my gracious Sicilian friends, and they kindly chauffeured me on visits to Campore and Franchetti. I regret very much I was unable to include Firriato Cavanera in my one-day schedule for logistical reasons but I hope to remedy that next year.
The Firriato Cavanera cellar door and winery at Contrada Verzella
Nerello Mascalese is grown up the slopes of Mt Etna on volcanic soils, from around 500 up to 1000 metres, perilously close to lava flows called sciara from not infrequent eruptions. The top of Mt Etna retains a permanent snow cap. Altitude ensures diurnal temperature range, cool nights preserving fresh acidity and aromatics in the wine. Many of the vines are very old and have survived phylloxera especially where pulverization of the lava soil into fine sand has occurred – phylloxera cannot survive in these soils. These vines are “albarello” bush vines, not wire-trained, with ancient, gnarled trunks and twisted growth patterns. The soils are very young rocky volcanic soils of diverse types, including 50 different lava types, each imparting a particular lava-esque minerality to the wines. This unique combination of pre-phylloxera vines, volcanic soils and altitude makes for some thrilling wines, variously compared to Barolo for its pale colour and tension between high tannins and fresh acidity, and Pinot Noir for ability to showcase the various terroirs, and at higher altitude haunting perfume and elegance.
Old Nerello Mascalese vines in Contrada Monte Serra 450m on Etna SE slopes
For new winemakers arriving in Sicily in the early 2000s, Nerello Mascalese took a while to understand. Like Pinot Noir it’s not the easiest grape. Above all, overcropping must be avoided and ensuring only fully ripened grapes are harvested is essential to avoid harsh tannins. It’s also not easy to vinify, starting out fiercely tannic and only gaining body with maceration. It dislikes new oak and to avoid excessive alcohol levels from fully ripened grapes, producers are increasingly experimenting with retaining stalks during fermentation to tone down alcohol levels.
The term Contrada relates to a district based on old estates, usually on specific lava flows. There are 142 recognised Contrada forming a crescent around the mouth of the volcano from North to Southwest. Each Contrada is being recognised for its distinctive combination of soil and microclimate. which give rise to quite diverse expressions of the grape: for example, Guardiola tending to produce austere structured wines, Feudo di Mezzo ripe and fruit forward wines. But Nerello Mascalese in all its expressions typically features fragrant violet aromas with juicy, sour cherry fruit accompanied by sweet spice, herbal notes, almonds, and a smoky flinty mineral spine.
Map of the 142 Contrada around Mt Etna
Contrasting scoria soils around Randazzo
The Passopisciaro winery of Andrea Franchetti sits at 100 metres above sea level above the town of Passopisciaro in the district of Castiglione di Sicilia. Franchetti arrived in 2000 and set about restoring the old abandoned terraces of vines, replanting at a density of 12,000 wines per hectare. My visit to Vini Franchetti was an excellent re-acquaintance with the grape and object lesson in different Contrada expressions. Franchetti makes six different wines focused on Nerello Mascalese, of which five are distinct Contrada wines or crus. I first tasted the Passorosso 2017 which blends from different altitudes and terroirs to render an archetypical expression. Light ruby in the glass with a pale rim, it displayed aromas of sandalwood and a whiff of eucalypt overlaying red cherry fruit. On the palate, lovely juicy red cherry and strawberry flavours with smooth tannins, and some licorice finishing long with a distinctive minerality.
Next up was the Contrada Porcaria (P) 2021. From 90 year old vines grown at 650m in Contrada P located in the Feudo di Mezzo, this wine was medium ruby in the glass with a rich aromas of ripe cherries a hint of blackcurrant and a balsamic savoury edge. On the palate, sweet rich black cherry and crushed raspberry fruit with fresh acidity, and firm, slightly tarry tannins, notes of blood orange there as well, and finishes long with that lava-esque minerality.
The following was quite a contrast, Contrada Rampante (R) 2021, from 180 year old vines grown at 1000m + altitude on older, sandier and more oxidized lava soils. At the limits of vine cultivation on Etna it is harvested last of all the Franchetti contradas. This wine was much more reminiscent of Pinot Noir in style, paler than the P, with lifted aromas of violets and pot-pourri overlaying raspberry fruit and giving way to cedary herbal notes. On the palate, sour cherry and berry flavours with blood orange and brown spice accompanied by fresh acidity and silky tannins, and a long elegant finish with again a distinct lava-esque minerality.
The Franchetti Winery
I tasted other wines at Franchetti and after lunch at Campore, but the three wines described above are sufficient to give a hint of the excitement Nerello Mascalese has to offer. If you are a Barolo lover, you will enjoy the wines from the lower altitude contradas. If you lean to Pinot Noir, try the wines from the higher altitudes. If, like me, you enjoy both Barolo and Pinot Noir, and furthermore want to really get to know Nerello Mascalese on its own terms there are 142 contradas and multiple producers to keep you satisfied and still learning for many years to come!
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