2018 Pietradolce Archineri Etna Rosso Sicily 750 ml

Pietradolce is just 17 years old, but don’t let its relative youth fool you. On some of the most coveted property on Mount Etna—and with almost as many Tre Bicchieri awards under its belt as vintages—this winery is unstoppable. 

Their 2018 Archineri Etna Rosso blew us away. Made from ungrafted Nerello Mascalese vines over 80 years of age, it’s simply our benchmark for what this native Sicilian grape can do. 

The 2018 Archineri capitalizes on the best qualities of Pietradolce’s distinguished terroir: It’s complex and energetic, featuring a rustic sophistication that weaves its way throughout. Grown in dusty rock under a high-altitude sun, it’s got an expansive, mineral-laden palate that lingers on and on. 

Sitting on Europe’s most active volcano has its perks. Years of eruptions and lava flows have quite literally shaped the mountainside, painting streaks of stony, sandy loam. Here, the high altitudes and rich soils nurture thick-skinned Nerello grapes that harbor ample tannins and acidity. These features materialize beautifully in the Archineri, and all without the heft you’ll find in other Italian reds.

A deep respect for these sun-drenched slopes flows through everything Pietradolce does. They tend every ancient vine by hand and strive for minimal human intervention, trusting the land to work its magic—and the land always delivers. By the time the fruit emerges from the black volcanic rock, it’s imbued with boundless potential, which gets unlocked by a 14-month rest in 500-liter oak casks. 

You know what they say: When the going gets tough, the tough make wine that will blow you away. We don’t know of a finer example of this region at anywhere near this price point.