2011 Calabretta Nerello Mascalese Vigne Vecchie Sicilia 750 ml

While most Mt. Etna wineries were releasing their 2018 Rossos, Calabretta was preparing to debut their 2011 Vigne Vecchie. It had spent nearly a decade in the cellar, and when it emerged, it left no doubt: This is Etna Rosso at its ageworthy best. 

Even as Mt. Etna has found its way to the forefront of wine trends, Calabretta has stuck to staunchly traditional methods. They typically age the indigenous Nerello Mascalese, grown on vines up to 100 years old, for 6–7 years in large oak botti before bottling.

Very few Etna producers age their rossos this long, since it’s expensive and time-consuming—but Calabretta isn’t after a quick profit. “A bastion of Sicilian tradition,” according to Antonio Galloni, they’re out to express centuries-old winemaking techniques and the terroir of Europe’s most active volcano. 

Years of volcanic activity have shaped the mountainside where Calabretta sits, painting streaks of black volcanic soil. Sitting nearly half a mile above sea level, ancient vines are rooted on terraced slopes where they experience cool breezes and huge diurnal temperature shifts, yielding thick-skinned Nerello Mascalese with ample tannins and acidity. 

Four generations of the Calabretta family have farmed Etna’s stunning vineyards with minimal intervention. They don’t use chemicals, and they allow olive trees, fruit trees, and wild grasses to grow within their vineyards. Everything is done by hand—and foot, as they tread the grapes the old-fashioned way before gentle pressing and aging.  

That level of attention, plus ten years of cellaring, makes this a special wine from one of the unique regions of Italy. Lovers of aged reds—or any reds for that matter—take note.