“[Terre Nere’s wines] all possessed unbelievable freshness and complexity as well as huge perfumes that suggested Pinot Noir…These wines are astonishingly complex and ethereal efforts from the hillsides of Mt. Etna in Sicily.” -Robert Parker
“I love the way Marc De Grazia refers to the Sicilian volcano with a definite article in front of its name. To him, it is “the Etna,” and he expresses his deference to the dangerous mountain with every mention. “The Etna is the Burgundy of the Mediterranean,” says the man whose career as an importer of fine Italian wines is legendary… his portfolio of wines is the gold standard for Etna wine.” -Monica Larner, Wine Advocate
“No other winery has done as much for the popularity and success of Mount Etna as Terre Nere; nearly any producer in the region will offer up this same opinion. Almost two decades ago, importer Marc de Grazia set out to prove that the high-altitude vineyards, diverse volcanic soils and ancient vines found on this still-active volcano could produce world-class wines of longevity… In the end, this is a producer that never rests, never stops looking to improve, and is constantly innovating and thinking outside the box, hence the respect that Terre Nere has earned and holds to this very day.” –Eric Guido, Vinous
For lovers of volcanic-influenced wines, Sicily’s Mount Etna is a cherished place. Home to the Burgundy-esque varieties of Nerello Mascalese and Carricante, these are gorgeous, terroir-driven wines. The two grapes offer layers of spice and high acidity, partly due to being grown on the highest vineyards in all of Europe. One of the finest producers on this volcano is Terre Nere, a domain that offers multiple single-vineyard wines.
We have Marc De Grazia to thank to bringing international attention to this stunning region. He founded Tenuta delle Terre Nere over twenty years ago after falling in love with the unique terroir created by the still-active volcano. He was the first to bottle single-parcel wines from the indigenous grapes and brought international focus and admiration to this once-overlooked region. The terroir of high altitude and dark volcanic soils combined with the traditional model inspired by Burgundy help yield distinctive wines from the indigenous grape varieties.
Fiercely dedicated to the terroir of Etna and preserving old rootstocks, some pre-phylloxera vines date back over 130 years, De Grazia owns vines across ten parcels on the slopes Mount Etna. Most vines are between 50 to 100 years old. The single-vineyard red wines are 100% Nerello Mascalese, a variety known for producing wines of great elegance. The whites are based on Carricante, a grape that gives mineral, piercing wines akin to Chablis.
The wines of Terre Nere are an astonishing value considering their quality, and even more so on our three-day sale.
10% off any 12 or more in-stock Terre Nere wines
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Discount ends Tuesday, February 20th at 9 am Pacific
In Stock and On Sale Now from Tenuta delle Terre Nere:
Tenuta delle Terre Nere Etna Bianco, Sicily 2022 750ml Displayed Price: $26, that’s $24.70 at 5% off and $23.40 at 10% off, 16 bottles in stock now
James Suckling 92 points “This shows attractive aromas of citrus and stone fruit with hints of seashell, with stony and ashy undertones. Medium-bodied, tangy and fresh with vivid acidity and a polished mineral backbone to it. Steady and focused with a crunchy finish. A blend of carricante, catarratto, grecanico and minnella. From organically grown grapes.”
Eric Guido-Vinous 91 points “The 2022 Etna Bianco is smoky in the glass, exciting the senses with a burst of crushed rocks and raw almonds before giving way to citrus-stringed peach. It’s soothingly soft and enveloping with weighty textures lifted by vibrant acidity. Masses of mineral-laden orchard fruits and sweet spices collide on the palate. The 2022 finishes remarkably fresh yet grippy and long, leaving the mouth watering for more. The level of complexity here is off the charts for an entry-level Etna Bianco. Yum!”
Tenuta delle Terre Nere Calderara Sottana Etna Bianco, Sicily 2022 750ml Displayed Price: $49, that’s $46.55 at 5% off and $44.10 at 10% off, 8 bottles in stock now
Decanter 94 points “This cru bottling from vines in Randazzo is youthfully creamy, offering little aroma other than that of the wood it has rested in along with stony flecks of mango and peach. Full, concentrated and with great acidity, this is a vital Carricante which has sufficient earthy yellow fruits – think pineapple, nectarine and yellow plum – to flesh out its backbone of stone and acid; a vertical yet full style which will only gain in power and weight as it ages. Impressive.”
Eric Guido-Vinous 94 points “With a bouquet like chiseling through sheer limestone with all of the smoky and flinty nuances that come with it, [it] is impossible to ignore. It’s silky upon entry yet quickly builds with mineral tension. A savory, sweet interplay of citrus and spice offsets ripe nectarines and apricots. The 2022 leaves the palate reeling with youthful tension and watering for more as it finishes with outstanding freshness. This may not be the longest-lived Calderara Sottana Bianco, yet there’s no rush. It’s a total charmer.”
Tenuta delle Terre Nere Montalto Etna Bianco, Sicily 2022 750ml Displayed Price: $44.50, that’s $42.28 at 5% off and $40.05 at 10% off, 7 bottles in stock now
Eric Guido-Vinous 94 points “Spicy and full of tension, [this] bursts from the glass with a blend of lemon zest, minty herbs, young peaches and crushed rocks. This opens with a pretty inner sweetness and crisp minerality, rushing the palate with ripe orchard fruits elevated by candied citrus. The Montalto finishes with fantastic length and potency, lightly structured and tactile. This gorgeous Etna Bianco is drinking beautifully today yet with the balance to promote medium-term cellaring.”
Tenuta delle Terre Nere Santo Spirito Etna Bianco, Sicily 2022 750ml Displayed Price: $44.50, that’s $42.28 at 5% off and $40.05 at 10% off, 8 bottles in stock now
Eric Guido-Vinous 93 points “This is silky and soothing, with depths of ripe apricot and nectarine complicated by sweet herbal tones and hints of candied lime, all lifted by a core of brisk acidity. It finishes long and lightly structured, leaving a mineral tinge and Asian pear traces slowly fading. Typically, I find the Santo Spirito to be the more forward and accessible Bianco from the Terre Nere portfolio, but in 2022, it’s holding its power in reserve. Cellaring is recommended.”
Tenuta delle Terre Nere Salice Etna Bianco Superiore, Sicily 2022 750ml Displayed Price: $44.50, that’s $42.28 at 5% off and $40.05 at 10% off, 10 bottles in stock now
Eric Guido-Vinous 92 points “The 2022 Etna Bianco Superiore Le Vigne Niche Salice entices with a mineral laden bouquet that blends white flowers and pine with chalk dust and cardamon. Soft and round, it fills the palate with a savory herbal thrust and white pit fruits, taking on a salty flourish toward the close. The Saline finishes with medium length and salty flourish while. A gentle tension slowly fades.”
Tenuta delle Terre Nere Calderara Sottana Rosso Etna, Sicily 2021 750ml Displayed Price: $69, that’s $65.55 at 5% off and $62.10 at 10% off, 20 bottles in stock now
James Suckling 95 points “This is more vibrant with red berries, blood oranges, light spices and hints of terra-cotta. Medium-bodied, juicy and fruit-forward with tangy acidity and dusty tannins. Hints of bitter orange at the end. Long and chalky yet very attractive and enjoyable now. Drink or hold.”
Eric Guido-Vinous 94 points “From the moment the glass is tilted, [this] shines through as crushed stones, ash and sweet smoke give way to vivid black cherries and autumnal spice. The 2021 Etna Rosso is elegant, silky and deeply textural, with salty mineral tones and gobs of red and black fruits, all perfectly maintained by a core of vibrant acidity. This is complex yet full of energy and sultry depths, tapering off saline and structured with grippy tannins that frame a lasting resonance of licorice and plums. These old vines handled the drought of the vintage beautifully, showing only in the grit of its tannins. Otherwise, the 2021 is pure magic.”
Tenuta delle Terre Nere ‘Dagala di Bocca d’Orzo’ Etna Rosso, Sicily 2021 750ml Displayed Price: $135, that’s $128.25 at 5% off and $121.50 at 10% off, 5 bottles in stock now
James Suckling 97 points “This shows notes of ripe black cherries and wild berries with dark chocolate and spices. Hot stones and ashy notes, too. Almost tarry undertones. Full and intense and very complete with finely polished tannins and sleek, silky texture. Deep dark-fruited and chocolaty character with a lingering finish. Better in two or three years.”
Decanter 97 points “Proudly stating ‘Monopole’ on the bottle, Marco De Grazia explains that historically, Bocca D’Orzo was considered one of the best of all Etna’s contradas, but was almost completely buried by the eruption of 1981. In 2017, he discovered an outcrop of the original soil, surrounded by the lava flow but untouched, planted with Nerello Mascalese. After negotiations with the owners, he was able to purchase the 0.5ha site and, with the first vintage in 2019, added ‘Dagala’ to the name of the contrada on the label, meaning ‘island’ in Sicilian dialect. Fresh, fragrant and deep, this 2021 has wonderful, intense, earthy aromas of wild strawberry, raspberry, red and black cherry and wild herbs. Concentrated, textured and vertical, it is itself an island – a core of ripe fruit carved out by a wash of fresh acidity. The mid-palate is very stony, while the purity of the red and black fruits carries through to a long, herbal, slightly balsamic finish. Poised, sapid and timeless.”
Tenuta delle Terre Nere Moganazzi Etna Rosso, Sicily 2021 750ml Displayed Price: $49, that’s $46.55 at 5% off and $44.10 at 10% off, 3 bottles in stock now
James Suckling 96 points “This has a fresh and fragrant nose with beautiful cherries and raspberries as well as rose petals, licorice and crushed stones. It’s firm and linear on the palate with a medium body and vivid acidity. It’s hard to draw a line between the tannins and the earthy, mineral aspect as both build a chalky mouthfeel and lead to a long textural finish. I like the finesse here despite being still quite tight and firm. Drink or hold.”
Tenuta delle Terre Nere San Lorenzo Etna Rosso, Sicily 2021 750ml Displayed Price: $49, that’s $46.55 at 5% off and $44.10 at 10% off, 20 bottles in stock now
Decanter 96 points “…Due to its uniqueness, Terre Nere have dubbed their San Lorenzo bottling (from 70- to 100-year-old vines) as ‘Grande Terroir Ellittico’ and consider it one of their grand crus. Fresh, floral and fragrant, it offers wafts of violet and lavender, cocoa, earth and black cherry. In the mouth its fine web of tannins and razor-sharp acidity provide tension for the ripe, balsamic hedgerow fruits to bounce off. Succulent and sapid with a very stony mid-palate, it displays excellent balance and depth, with incredible freshness and staying power.”
Eric Guido-Vinous 94+ points “The 2021 Etna Rosso San Lorenzo seduces with its perfumed blend of roses, sour cherries, tangerine and a cinnamon dusting. This is pure elegance, lifted and refined, with dazzling acidity and a wave of pure mineral-tinged fruits that crackle and pop across the palate. It’s complex yet truly delicious and maintains marvelous energy, even as a web of fine-grained tannins reminds the taster of its youthful state. Even today, the 2021 San Lorenzo is dreamy and a total pleasure. That said, the future remains very bright.”
Tenuta delle Terre Nere Feudo di Mezzo Etna Rosso, Sicily 2021 750ml Displayed Price: $49, that’s $46.55 at 5% off and $44.10 at 10% off, 21 bottles in stock now
James Suckling 96 points “Pure cherry fruit here, reminiscent of kirsch, with orange peel and an ashy, mineral backbone to it, almost like cracked flint or gunpowder. Similar aromas and flavors on both the nose and on the palate. Medium- to full-bodied, really tense and firm with chalky tannins and a lingering crushed granite and rock sensation on the palate. Seashells, too. Long. Try after 2025.”
Decanter 94 points “Il Quadro delle Rose is a favoured parcel in Feudo di Mezzo, always the first Nerello Mascalese site to be harvested by the estate. It’s situated at 600m on shallow, ashy soil and planted with 60- to 80-year-old vines, and offers a lovely rich fragrance of blackberry, blackcurrant, black cherry and herbs. Rich and silky, it combines fruit forwardness with lip-smacking sapidity in a glorious way, backed by fine, ripe, grippy tannins, an undertow of fresh acidity, and some licks of wood and spice on the long finish. Lovely.”
Tenuta delle Terre Nere Santo Spirito Rosso Etna, Sicily 2021 750ml Displayed Price: $49, that’s $46.55 at 5% off and $44.10 at 10% off, 22 bottles in stock now
James Suckling 96 points “This shows notes of darker berries with red licorice and fresh ripe peaches. Intense with hints of moist clay soil and bark undertones. Full and steady on the palate with a firm backbone of chalky tannins that go on for minutes. Lot of tension and energy. Stays long on the palate, turning to a more smooth and powdery mouthfeel. Needs some time. Try after 2025.”
Decanter 95 points “From 80- to 100-year-old vines at 700 to 850 metres above sea level, Santo Spirito is defined by its large terraces and deep, ashy soils. Vinified in stainless steel then undergoing malo and ageing for 14 months in French oak barriques and tonneaux, with one final month in stainless steel, this is a deeply fragrant wine with spicy, earthy and floral perfume allied to dark berry notes, a fine, chalky texture and lovely verticality. Really fresh “slightly balsamic” and ethereal, it dances across the tongue carrying bundles of finely woven hedgerow fruits, black pepper spice and wood. It’s still very young but you can expect this to reveal some succulent fruits with time.”
10% off any 12 or more in-stock Agathe Bursin wines
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Discount ends Sunday, February 18th at 9 am Pacific