Milo (Catania, Sicily): Contrade, vineyards, and Superiore wines

Marco de Grazia (delleterrenere.com) makes on of the most cogent arguments for the current Mt Etna grape-growing architecture and Milo's place within that space.

For centuries and centuries the northern slopes of Etna have been recognized for the best red grapes in the area ... "That is why I established Tenuta delle Terre Nere here. Nevertheless, some specific areas of the eastern and southern areas of Etna attracted me greatly, whose ancient and recent history testified to excellent viticultural qualities. In short, I became particularly interested in in the viticulture of the smallest municipality of the eastern area, that of Milo. From the 18th century until a dozen years ago, only one company existed in Milo, and it was famous for its whites. And when the statutes of the DOC Etna were drawn up in 1968, only the whites of Etna were allowed to boast the epithet Superiore. In fact, as I see it, the microclimate of Milo makes the production of red wines unlikely, while that of rosés is interesting, and that of whites potentially admirable even if it requires special attention."

The average rainfall in Milo is double that of the northern and southern areas. Its exposures are mostly east-facing, often made difficult and shady by vast ravines. The steepness of the terraces of the entire municipality sees the sun forced to set very early in the shadow of the volcano. Furthermore, the climate is very humid, open as it is to the hot sirocco that, having crossed the Ionian Sean, blows directly onm the vineyards. So much so that it is not uncommon to find yourself wrapped in fog even on summer evenings. No, it is not a climate for red wines. But an extremely interesting one, even if challenging, for whites, which seem to appreciate its particularly fresh, humid and breezy nature.

Marco goes on to describe what he saw as the optimum vineyard location in Milo:

I was looking for the perfect altitude: not too high, to avoid a truly extreme climate; not too low, where excessive heat would negate the austere and sharp character of Milo wines that I had learned to admire. It also had to be well exposed to ensure consistent quality in such a difficult climate.

I have previously described the Milo physical environment at the broader level as well as at the level of the defined contrade. Herein I describe the contrada-level built environment and, specifically, the Superiore wines produced therefrom.

The chart below illustrates how Milo grapegrowers have sought to utilize the physical environment in the deployment of their grapevines. The chart shows a marked preference for planting within Contrada Caselle with 7 producers having put down roots there. Salice and Volpare follow with four producers each, Rinazzo and Praino, with three each, and Fornazzo and Villagrande with one each. I could find no producers in Pianogrande.

There are a number of Multi-contrada producers within the comune: Maugeri (Volpare and Praino), Tenuta di Fessina (Caselle and Volpare) and Eredi di Maio (Caselle, Praino, Rinazzo, and Volpare). There are also a number of producers with interests outside the comune: Tenuta di Fessina, Benanti, Pietradolce, iCustodi, iVigneri, Terra Costantino, and Delle Terre Nere. For many of these producers, Milo is part of a multi-pronged strategy of wine production on Etna.

The average vineyard size in Milo is as follows:

• Caselle -- 1 ha
• Fornazzo -- 1 ha
• Praino -- 1.13 ha
• Rinazzo -- 2 ha (should be noted that the total ha is about 10 of which Benanti owns 7)
• Salice -- 7
• Volpare -- 3.1.

Not all of the producers identified in the above chart are currently producing Superiore wines. The Superiore requirements called for the grapes to be grown within the bounds of the comune and for a minimum of 80% Carricante. As shown in the chart below, only three (Aurora, Contrada Villagrande, and Milus) of the identified Superiore wines are not made in purity.

In terms of elevation, 11 of the wines are produced from grapes grown in the 800 - 900 m zone (as identified in my physical environment post) while five are made from grapes grown in the 700 - 800 m zone and the remaining five in the 500 - 650 m zone. 

Eredi di Maio is a multi-contrade wine but most of its vineyards are in Contrada Caselle.

I tasted most of these wines at a VinoMilo2024 event titled Milo, il carricante e l'Etna Bianco Superiore. I will report on that tasting in a follow-up post.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Tasting selected vintages of Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon

The Orlando Friends Tasting Group has, over the past year, held events focused on Constellation's To Kalon wines, Continuum, Tignanello, the slopes and terroirs of Mt Etna, Chateau Montelena, and the 1997 Napa Vintage. Next up in the series is a tasting of Ridge Vineyards' Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon. 

I have previously reported on Monte Bello's home AVA (Santa Cruz Mountains), the Monte Bello grape-growing environment and farming practices, and the estate winemaking approach. In this post I detail our experiences tasting selected vintages of the subject wine.

The table below shows the wines included in the tasting as well as their respective varietal compositions and the contribution of each varietal to the blend.

Year	Cabernet Sauvignon (%)	Merlot (%)	Petit Verdot (%)	Cabernet Franc (%)
2016	72	12	10	6
2015	77	11	7	5
2007	79	10	9	2
2000	75	23		2
1997	85	8	4	3
1996	80	11	9
1993	86	7	7
1991	85	10	5
1987	92	5		3
Varietal Contribution	Show cassis, add tannins	Plum character, softness	Dark color, earthiness	Fragrance, hint of spice

The table shows a decline in the contribution of Cabernet Sauvignon over the decades as well as a spike in the Merlot contribution in 2000. The latter vintage had experienced a reduction in harvest and berry size due to cold winds from the Pacific while the vines were in bloom.

There was no Cabernet Franc contribution to the blend for three of the four 90s-decade wines on offer.

The wines were grouped and tasted based on decade of production. Further, the wines were tasted from the youngest to the oldest within the flights. The vintage notes were sourced from the Ridge Vineyards website.

Flight 1: The 2000s

2016 Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon

• Very wet December and January helped ease the drought
• Cool weather in April reduced lower-elevation crops. Warm spell in late June and July helped push the vines along
• 23 of 25 Monte Bello parcels
• 18 months in oak (100% new, 98% American, 2% French).

This wine had a beautiful nose: coconut, dill, vanilla, and baking spices. Red fruit, spice, tar, rust, chocolate, and salinity on the palate. High tannin with good acid level. Long, creamy finish — Author.

Lean and tight. A little astringent. Needs many years. Slightly closed. Dill and green herbs. Nose was Bordeaux sans funk. Nice small sweetness — Brian.

Tannic. Too young. Nose - some flowers from the Petit Verdot, perfume-like with hints of smoke. Mouth - plum, raisin. Dried fruit. Oak. Needs time — Sean.

2015  Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon

• Mild winter brought early bud break 
• Cold temperature returned and storms swept through during bloom, reducing yields
• Summer warmth hastened ripening
• 22 of 25 Monte Bello parcels represented in final wine
• 16 mos in barrel (94% new, 6% 1 year old; 97% American, 3% French).

Pauillac nose. Elegance, dill, coconut. Elegance on the palate as well with red fruit, spice, and sour cherries — Author.

Vanilla. Potpourri. Once again, tight, lean and green. Dill. Cold weather wine. Not as good as the ‘16 — Brian.

Similar to the 2016 in being too young, but this will perhaps become more complex with many decades ahead of it. One I’d like to try in 20 years.  On the nose a touch of menthol/mint, and other herbs, with just a touch of smoke or tobacco box. Some sous bois also and graphite, coffee,… lots going on in this bottle. Blackberry on the mouth and plum and other dark fruit. I think the best of the flight for being more elegant than the ‘16 — Sean.

2007 Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon

• Mild February brought early bud break
• Ideal conditions through spring allowed the vines to set a full crop
• Cold weather in late September hastened ripening
• October wet and rainy then temps soared into the high 80s on the 23rd
• Grapes rebounded quickly, developing incredible intensity
• Switch from whole-berry to full crush when tannins did not extract readily
• Continued twice-daily pump-overs until press
• 18 mos in barrel, 96% new American, 4% new French

Beautiful nose with baking spices, spice, and menthol. Smooth and light on the palate. Long finish — Author.

Nice plump fruit. Starting to come into its own. I am all about 2007 and this doesn’t disappoint. Integrating finally. Dill. Thyme. Herbs. Vanilla.  The wine of the flight and night — Brian.

I love this vintage for Napa and appears to be a good one for Ridge also. Tannic and still showing youth. Plum, dark fruits, and some cocoa on the mouth. Nose was more cherry, cedar, herbs, sous bois, graphite much like a Bordeaux. Very good — Sean.

2000 Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon

• Growing season began on schedule
• Cold, wet winds off the Pacific in June caught the vines in bloom
• Cut down the number of berries
• Reduced berry size
• Cool season
• 40% whole-berry fermentation
• Daily pump -overs for the first 5/6 days
• Pressed at 9 days 
• MLF 3/4 in barrel, 1/4 in tanks
• 18 mos in oak (92% American)

Linear. No complexity. No body. No fruit — Author.

Best 2000 I’ve had for a bad vintage. A little musky and flabby. All that merlot is a killer — Brian.

Smooth. Tannins lighter, but not quite resolved. Plum on the mouth with some green peppers on the nose. Perhaps slightly off or picked too ripe? Not the best of the flight — Sean.

As Brian mentioned previously, the 2007 was adjudged the wine of the flight.

Flight 2: The 1990s

1997 Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon

• Year began with torrential winter rains followed by a long, mild spring
• Early flowering
• Unusually large crop
• Dropped nearly 20%, bringing yields down to 2 tons/acre
• Abundant vintage; one of the ripest of the 1990s
• Malo in tanks and barrel
• 90% aged in new American oak; remainder in new French
• 55% of vineyard’s production in Monte Bello Cab

Dark cherries, hint of coconut, and shoe polish on the nose. Beautiful and smooth on the palate. Red fruit. Elegant -- Author.

Great cherry flavor. Reduced tannin with medium acid. Not super complex. Medium body — Brian.

Mouth - Dark cherry. Chocolate. Candied fruit. Nose - Sous bois, cassis, perhaps something mint or eucalyptus there. Feels as if the bottle is well past its prime, but still hanging in there — Sean.

1996 Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon

• Extremely short crop attributed to:
• Storm in mid-May
• Two weeks of blustery weather that followed
• Yields down by 40% in upper and middle elevations, 60% in lower elevations
• Record high daytime temps counterbalanced by cool nights
• Twice-daily pumpovers
• Shorter, more extractive macerations in this vintage (9-day versus 12- to 18-day of earlier vintages)
• Full assemblage completed in August, > 10 months after vintage
• Almost all  aged in new American oak

Complex nose. Tar, mint, sweet ripe fruit, and baking spices. Red fruit and fully resolved tannins on the palate. Palate-encompassing explosion of flavor. Lengthy, creamy finish -- Author.

Less fruit than the '97. More acid than 1997. More refined than all the wines. More elegant than most. Smooth — Brian.

Nose - dark cherry, dark red fruits. Something spice-like. Dry on the mouth and smooth — resolved tannins. Mouth more dark fruits, black cherry, chocolate — Sean.

1993 Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon

• Late start gave no hang time to lose acid
• Highest in the vineyard’s history
• A full MLF brought the wines back into balance
• 60% of the Monte Bello wines kept out of the final assembly
• Aged 16 mos in oak - 75% American, 25% French
• Merlot tannic so less was included than in most recent vintages
• Egg-white fining.

Stemmy. Acetone. Acidic. Volatile acidity -- Author.

Astringent. Good not great. Tons of acid and tannin. Less fruit. Stewey -- Brian.

Smoke on the nose. Dried aged flowers but touch of VA. Mouth - flawed. Only wine I didn’t finish -- Sean

1991 Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon

• Spring rains set back the growing season by several weeks but replenished the water in the soil
• Abundant crop
• Long, warm October ripened all the fruit
• 50% of the Monte Bello grape held out of the final wine
• First and second press kept separate with almost all of the first press included in the final wine.

1991 Dominus comes to mind. Elegant. Hint of baking spices. Too much fruit though. Bright and fresh.  Tannins resolved. -- Author.

A bit of acetone but starting to blow off. A lot of earth. Mud and clay. Very light and airy. Medium acid. Low tannin. Old Rutherford dust. -- Brian.

Still very much alive. Dusty like a Napa. Cassis and dark fruit on the nose; some tobacco also. More sous bois again (much like a complex Bordeaux), mushrooms, and hints of smoke. Mouth: dark cherry. Good fruit. Felt younger for such an old wine, but good balance of tannins and acid. Good finish. May be influenced by the hype for this bottle, but this was the wine of the flight and of the night. Complex. Felt made to last for years to come. I’d like to procure a few more bottles. Fantastic -- Sean.

The 1991 was adjudged the wine of the flight.

Flight 3: The 1980s

1987 Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon

• Unseemly warm weather in March brought on early bud break
• Cold winds from the Pacific swept in during flowering
• Quarter of normal crop at fruit set
• Cool growing season ripened the grapes at ideal sugar levels
• Low yield contributed intense fruit and firm structure
• 30% of the fruit was held out of the Monte Bello bottling 
• 97% CS, 1.5% CF, 1.5% PV

Fresh. Pauillac nose. Creme brulee, herbs, coal, blackpepper, and a bit of dill. Raspberry and salty tamarind on the palate -- Author.

Wow. Thirty+ years old. Rocky. Cedar. Tart. Raspberry. Sweet tarts. Soft. Plush but falling apart — Brian.

Black pepper, smoke. Rich on the palate at first sip. Dark berry. Sweetness. Good acid. Long finish. Changed with time and air and fell off after being in the glass for a short time. Probably too old and past its prime. A bit sour cherry on the finish. Wasn’t terrible, but went from good to meh quickly and last sips were nothing like the first — Sean.

Richard thought the wine of the night was the 1987: "It had a sweet and sour quality." as he saw it, The other outstanding vintages, in order, were the 1997 2007,  and 1996. 2015 and 2016 showed promise, he continued, with characteristics of dill, menthol, dark fruit, and cherry chocolate. Unfortunately, the group did not side with him and settled on the 1991 as the wine of the night.

The Tasting Team. From L to R: Al, Laurie,
Fred, Richard, the author, Brian, Sean, and Bruce.

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For those of us who had not historically delved into Ridge Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon, this was an eye-opening experience. This was a California Cabernet that was lighter and more agile than its Napa counterpart and, with its relatively low alcohol content and pleasing acidity, was refreshingly familiar to Bordeaux lovers. I personally regret not having spent more time with this wine over the years. I will not make the same mistake going forward.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme