2018 Pietradolce Etna Rosso Sicily 750 ml

15 years into its renaissance, the northern slope of Sicily's active volcano, Mt. Etna, remains one of the most thrilling propositions in all of wine. Where else can you rub two dimes together and conjure the laciness of red Burgundy or the power of Barolo? 

At less than $20, Michele Faro's indelible Pietradolce Etna Rosso—a benchmark for the category—captures every bit of the magic this so-called island-within-an-island has to offer. It has won Tre Bicchieri from Gambero Rosso eleven years straight. And we couldn't be more excited to bring this boutique gem to our members. 

Powered by the unusual cool-climate terroir of the volcano's northeastern slope, the native Nerello Mascalese grape, in Faro's meticulous hands, becomes an engine tuned to its very own byways. Pure red fruits downshift into an exploration of Mediterranean herbs and wildflowers before hugging the fine lines of its dusty, mineral finish. You won't find a more tenacious wine at this price. 

For better or worse—and we think the former—it's a small estate, with only 27 mountainous acres under vine, and a total production of around 7,500 cases. The 2018 Etna Rosso DOC bottling only represents a tiny piece of that. With just about 1,600 total cases made, there isn't nearly enough to go around. 

The vineyards at Pietradolce date back at least to the 19th century, and retain some productive vines from that era. Because the volcanic soils provided a natural resistance to the devastating phylloxera pest that spread throughout France and Italy in the late 1800s, today Pietradolce's vines stand as some of the oldest in Europe. This bottling leverages the estate's youngest vines—a mere 50 years old!—making it their "entry-level" offering. 

No surprise that Faro is so intimately connected to this variety and its homeland. His family has deep roots in the area—literally. They own the largest nursery on the island and boast a long heritage of cultivating Etna soils for various ends. Those generations of familiarity come across in the effortless sophistication of the wine, which feels both weightless in its approach and athletic in its graceful transitions.

While James Suckling's 93 points represent a killer score, it still barely hints at the captivating energy Pietradolce serves up in the glass. With its pale color, just a shade darker than rosato, and its finely knit structure embroidered with tea-like tannins, this is a wine that mystifies and illuminates in equal measure. 

It needs some time to open up once the cork comes out. But give it an hour to let the bright acidity soften, and the tart-cherry and dried-cranberry high tones evolve into a deeper complex of ruby-red grapefruit peel, hibiscus, and earl grey. It's one of those wines that keeps expanding, getting better with every sip.

Faro, one of the architects of the Etna risorgimento, has some of the finest sites on the volcano, situated between 2,000 and 3,000 feet above sea level. And he hand-tends his vines, many of them set into half-moon stone terraces to protect from the harsh mountain winds. All that to say the yields are super low, the late-ripening grapes super concentrated and mature, and the wine itself is both agile and powerful.

We wish there were more to go around, but we took as much as we could. And—sorry—some of that will be lining our own cellars, because we absolutely must see how this beauty develops. We suggest you follow suit.