Friday, September 26, 2025

Maugeri Contrada Volpare Etna Bianco Superiore 2024 and 2022: ViniMilo 2025 MasterClass on Etna white wine identity

The second set of wines tasted at the ViniMilo 2025 White Grape Identity of Etna Masterclass was from the Maugeri estate. Brandon and I visited this producer during ViniMilo 2024 and I reported on that here. In that post I pointed out that Robert Camuto (writing in Wine Spectator) had identified Maugeri as one of the wineries to watch. Since then, the accolades have continued to pour in:
  • Gambero Rosso awarded Maugeri the Emerging Wines of 2025 title in its wine guide of the same year based on the winery’s “determination, vision, and commitment.”
  • Gambero Rosso also awarded Tre Bichieri to the estate’s Etna Bianco Superiore Contrada Volpare 2023 “which captures the sophisticated complexity of Milo’s Carricante.”
The Maugeri wines tasted at the Masterclass were the 2024 and 2022 Contrada Volpares in that order.


The growing season notes from Brandon Tokash are as follows:
2024 — Spring and summer were dry and townsfolk were wondering what was going on. A very hot, dry summer led to some concern for the grapes. A late July 3 weekend rain saved it all, providing enough moisture for the plants to get through until late August and September when they received additional water. In the end it turned out to be a very good vintage for Etna Bianco Superiore. 

2022 — This was a hot, dry summer, hotter than normal especially at night. I thought that the Carricante was bigger, perhaps rounder with less tension and acid. Not my favorite year.
The grapes for the 2022 vintage were cryomacerated for 3 hours after which they were vinified in stainless steel tanks using selected yeasts. The wine was aged on the lees for 8 months in 60% French oak barrels and 40% stainless steel tanks. No malolactic fermentation or batonnage. The wine was fined and filtered prior to bottling. The 2024 was similarly vinified but was aged for a full year, 90% in steel tanks and 10% in oak barrel.

The 2024 Contrada Volpare was elegant. Sage, mint, citrus, and sweet white fruit on the nose. Rounded attack on the palate. Sage, minerality, and restrained sapidity. Smooth. A beautiful wine.

The 2022 showed herbs, minerality, and salinity on the nose. Brighter than the 2024. Unfocused initially. Sapidity, citrus, almond pit, and persistent minerality.

The two wines differed both in terms of vintage conditions and aging regime. Brandon didn’t too much care for the 2022 vintage and much less wood was used in the 2024. Purity of high quality fruit shone through in the 2024.


©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Tuesday, September 23, 2025

Barone di Villagrande Etna Bianco Superiore 2024 and 2021: ViniMilo 2025 MasterClass on White Wine Identity

Evening Masterclasses are a staple of the ViniMilo experience; and the 2025 edition was no exception. One such Masterclass, held on September 10th at the Iuppa Resort and titled L’identità bianchista dell’Etna (The identity of the whites of Etna), explored non-sequential vintages of Etna Bianco Superiores from leading producers Barone di Villagrande, Maugeri, Benanti, Iuppa, Rachele, and Terre di Nuna. I report on this tasting in a series of posts beginning with this one.



I have written about a number of these producers in the past. In those cases I will simply compare and contrast the two vintages using growing season notes provided by Brandon Tokash and tasting notes that I captured on the night of the event. In the cases where I have not previously reported on the producer, I will rectify that shortcoming before delving into the comparison. 

The first wines tasted were the 2024 and 2021 (in that order) Etna Bianco Superiores from Barone di Villagrande. 


The 2024 was labeled Etna Bianco Superiore while the 2021 was labeled Etna Bianco Superiore Contrada Villagrande. The Etna Bianco Superiore was fermented in steel and bottled 12 months after harvest (Brandon alerted me to the fact that this wine was recently awarded 3 Bicchieri by Gambero Rosso.). The Contrada Villagrande was fermented and aged in 500 L oak barrels for one year and then spent another year in bottle before release on the market. I have previously written about the producer and that reportage can be found here.

The growing season notes from Brandon are as follows:
2024 — Spring and summer were dry and townsfolk were wondering what was going on. A very hot, dry summer led to some concern for the grapes. A late July 3 weekend rain saved it all, providing enough moisture for the plants to get through until late August and September when they received additional water. In the end it turned out to be a very good vintage for Etna Bianco Superiore. 

2021 — Another dry spring and summer with typical Milo rains a few weeks before and during harvest. If I remember, the 2021’s that we tasted was the vintage that we thought was better than the others. If that’s the case, the vintage was excellent.

The 2024 Barone di Villagrande Etna Bianco Superiore showed sweet white fruit, sage, thyme, minerality, and salinity on the nose. An explosion of acidity on the palate, along with dried limeskin and spice. Overall, the flavors on the palate are consistent with the aromas of the nose. A hint of spice on the finish and some heat on the chest. A quality wine.

The nose on the 2021 showed more maturity and development as compared to the 2024; unsurprisingly. Minerality and dried and green herbs. Softer, more muted notes on the palate vis a vis the 2024. Elegant and smooth. Bitter sapidity. Mineral persistence. Excites the salivary glands. 

Both wines were sourced from good growing seasons and both exhibited excellent quality. Fermentation and aging regimes differed between the two wines and this, plus the age, is reflected in the differential characteristics.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Sunday, September 21, 2025

A tasting of selected vintages (2009 - 1978) of St. Julien's Chateau Léoville Poyferré

"I liked all of the Leoville wines. The Las Cases was big and bold; the Barton, earthy; and the Poyferré elegant and poised." So said Richard Cohen, a member of the Orlando Tasting Group after our triad-concluding vertical tasting of the Poyferré Grand Vin. 


Before describing this most recent tasting, let me provide some background information on the estate.

History
As described previously, the Leoville estates came about as a result of the dismemberment of Domaine Leoville beginning with the sale of selected vineyard plots to Hugh Barton in 1826. Léovile Poyferré surfaced when Jean de Las Cases passed her portion of the remaining estate on to her daughter who, at the time, was married to Baron Jean-Marie de Poyferré. Hence the estate name.

As shown in the timeline below, the estate changed hands twice between 1865 and 1920 but has since remained in the hands of the Cuvelier family. Didier Cuvelier took control in 1979 and his stewardship was instrumental in moving the estate into the top ranks of Bordeaux producers. Didier resigned in 2017 and was replaced by his cousin Sara Lecompte Cuvelier.


Grape-Growing Environment
I have covered the St. Julien grape-growing environment previously. As regards the Chateau Léoville Poyferré environment, the chart below shows the estate's major vineyard blocks (except for one that is dedicated solely to Chateau Moulin Riche), the soil characterizations of those blocks, and general information on the built environment.


The Poyferré vineyards are managed by Alix Combes with David Aguirre as his assistant. The estate's manta is "vigilance, reactivity, adaptation" with human intervention only when necessary. Each vineyard worker is assigned a specific plot and is responsible for meticulous, nature-observant tending of same. The vineyard is ploughed for aeration as well as weed control, a part of the estate's commitment to eco-friendly practices.

Wines and Winemaking
The estate produces two wines: Léoville Poyferré and Pavillion de Poyferré, The Grand Vin is known for opulence, richness and aging potential while the Pavillion is more accessible. The Grand Vin has seen a rapid jump in quality beginning with the 1982 vintage.


Harvest
Three weeks before harvest the winemaking team gets together with consulting enologist Julien Viaud and they go through the vineyard tasting the grape berries to evaluate their ripeness. Analysis of phenolic and technical maturity complement and confirm impressions during daily tastings.
  • Grapes are hand-picked and the clusters transported to the vat house in crates
  • Sorted by hand before destemming and optically before crushing, the latter to remove any vegetal material. 
Vinification
The grapes are vinified plot-by-plot by variety in 57 heat-regulated, stainless-steel tanks, 27 of which are double-walled. Young vines ripen earlier so they are picked and vinified separately. Row-ends are also vinified separately because they ripen later; they are picked later and used for kosher wine.


One-week pre-fermentation cold maceration enhances purity of fruit aromas and color intensity. Non-Saccharomyces yeast is added to the must at this time rather than the traditional Sulfur dioxide.


The must is pumped over daily until the end of alcoholic fermentation. The fermented wine is racked off the skins which are pressed for press wine. 


Some small batches of kosher wine are made from grapes set aside specially for this purpose. Special teams are brought in for this purpose.

Malolactic Fermentation 
In barrels. Because the barrel room is across the street from the vat room, the wine has to be transported over. This was, for a while, done by hand in steel tanks using tractors. More recently underground pipes have been laid to allow transfer of the wine from vats to barrel.

Aging
By variety and plot. Aged in French oak barrels for 18 months.

Tasting the Wines

The wines included in the tasting are shown below. They are arranged in flights by decade.


Year

Cabernet Sauvignon (%)

Merlot (%)

Cabernet Franc (%)

Petit Verdot (%)

2009

60

29

6

5

2003

70

25


5

2000

60

40








1996

50

35

4

11

1995

67

26

7

3

1990

63

25

5

7






1978






The tasting team is shown below. This is the smallest group to date (and, as a result, the fewest number of wines) due to scheduling changes disrupting the original order (Al was a part of the group but the picture was taken prior to his arrival.).



Flight 1: The 2000s

2009 Léoville Poyferré 

Elegant on the nose with blueberries, eucalyptus, baking spices, and fudge. Good acidity. Graphite, forest floor, coal, and a salinity on the palate. Savory. Eucalyptus comes through on the palate. A bit of a green note. Lengthy finish. Beautiful wine -- Author.


Currently a little austere but can't wait to try it in 5 - 10 years. Blueberry notes. Grippy, with lots of black fruits -- Brian.


2003 Léoville Poyferré 
Dark fruit, herbs, spices, tobacco, and cedar on the nose. Good acid level. Earthiness, spice, and plums on the palate. Wine belies the heat of the vintage -- Author.

This was a very Cabernet-dominant vintage. Not as fruit-heavy as some other 2003s. Plums, velvety tannins. Well on the road to full integration. Was my second choice overall of all the wines -- Brian.

This was the wine of the flight.

2000 Léoville Poyferré 
Not as good as the two preceding wines. Almost over-the-hill. Some VA and an odd character. VA becomes more prevalent with time -- Author.

Tart cherries and cedar. A green note and starting to fall off a bit. Some tobacco notes but not there at all -- Brian.

Flight 2: The 1990s

1996 Léoville Poyferré 

Dark fruit, graphite, pencil lead, black pepper, red pepper, and spice on the nose. Beautiful palate. Balanced. Some drying -- Author.

Loads of Petit Verdot in this vintage. Fantastic nose (in retrospect one of the best of the tasting). Wine still needs time. Somewhat reminiscent of a Leoville Las Cases -- Brian.

1995 Léoville Poyferré 
Ginger, mint, eucalyptus, and pepper spice on the nose. Cherry on the palate along with salinity and a savoriness. Unresolved. Short finish -- Author.

While similar to the 1996, the acid and tannins were a little overwhelming for me. Good, not great. Cedar and less fruit than preceding wines. Very shallow/short wine -- Brian.

1990 Léoville Poyferré
Blueberry, eucalyptus, sweaty saddle leather, and cigar box on the nose. Red and dark fruit on the palate. Great finish -- Author.

Wonderful wine. Garnet/Ruby color and a great cherry nose. Luxardo cocktail cherries. Medicinal, but not in a bad way. Hint of thyme as well. Fully integrated and along finish. This wine is ready now -- Brian

This wine was adjudged the wine of the flight.

Flight 3: The 1970s

1978 Léoville Poyferré 

Eucalyptus on the nose. Sour cherry and cough syrup on the palate. Bold aromas and flavors -- Author.

Very short wine but fun. Expectations met for what some called the "miracle vintage." Medicinal with sour cherries -- Brian.

****************************************************************************************************
After the completion of the flights, we voted for a wine of the night. The 1990 took the prize by a wide margin,


©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Thursday, September 18, 2025

Etna Wines: Visit to Tenute Ballasanti

In 2024 I had the pleasure of tasting the wines of Tenute Ballasanti for the first time and documented that experience in a subsequent blog post. On this year's visit to ViniMilo we ran into Manuela at one of the public events and she could not wait to have us taste the new addition to her lineup: a Rosé. During the course of the evening we agreed that Brandon and I would visit her at home and taste through the new releases.

Barbara (Liuzzo) had agreed to drive us over and showed up promptly at the appointed time. It was a beautiful, scenic drive with the sea a dominant sight ahead of us as we threaded our way through small village after small village. We finally pulled up at two large wrought-iron gates and Barbara signaled that we had arrived. She placed a call and Manuela arrived to open the gates.

Barbara and Manuela


From the little that I could see initially, it appeared to be an expansive property but, what was even more captivating, was the view of the towns below; and the expanse of water stretching away from the towns. 


We did a quick tour of the tasting room and the old Palmento that was being refurbished then Manuela said we would be taking a walk outside to see this retreat that her Grandma had built when she (Manuela) was still a child. Then it hit me. This was the childhood home that Manuela had talked about in my initial post. This was the magnet that had pulled her back to her wine roots.

We began to walk up an unassuming hill in the indicated direction and, as far as you could see, the right side of the path was chock full of grape vines straining under the weight of sizable bunches of grapes. And on the left side, every kind of fruit tree that exists under the sun. And the hill? It was not so unassuming after all. After a labored journey to the slow-arriving summit, I dropped, exhausted, onto the bench where Manuela's grandmother had sat and contemplated the fate of the world. It was beautiful. It was majestic. It was commanding. And it was windy.


Our path down was less strenuous. The tasting was set up in a room off the kitchen and we repaired there. Manuela's daughter -- Gaia, currently completing the thesis for her degree -- is interested in eventually managing the wine enterprise so she joined in the tasting. The vineyards from which the grapes are sourced were detailed in the post mentioned earlier.



We tasted four wines, the first of which was the 2023 Tenute Ballasanti Etna Bianco DOC, a 100% Carricante wine with grapes sourced from the Il Tenaci Vineyard in Contrada Chiusitti. Sage, rosemary, minerality, mint, and salinity on the nose. Rich on the palate. Weighty, with bright acidity. Citrus and burnt citrus skin. Persistent salinity.

The Nerello Mascalese grapes for the 2024 Rosé were sourced from the Sublime Vineyard. This is the maiden vintage. The grapes were soft-pressed and then the must fermented. There is some skin contact. The wine was kept on the lees until March of this year.

Strawberries, lees, and bubble gum on the nose. Non-aggressive attack. Persistent salinity and minerality on the palate. Bitter almond and a saline finish. Food would serve this wine well.

The 2023 Etna Rosso is made from 15-year-old vines and is fermented in stainless steel with twice-weekly punchdowns. Malolactic fermentation and aging (7 months) also occur in stainless steel vessels.

Smoke, jasmine, licorice, lees, and sweet red fruit on the nose. Focused and smooth on the palate. Linear. Light on its feet. Rich finish.

The 2023 Sicilia DOC is dedicated to Manuela's youngest son. The wine is fermented 1/3 whole-cluster and the remainder de-stemmed. Malolactic fermentation and aging in steel. 

Red fruits, herbs, and a hint of burnt rubber on the nose. Ephemeral. Light on the attack but then explodes. Bright red fruit. Salinity and a little green note. Persistent. Linear but pleasant.


During the course of the tasting, Manuela's youngest son and a friend had dropped in. We utilized the friend's photography skills to capture some group pics featuring the stunning backdrop.



All in all a great day. Looking forward to the continued growth of this winery and a bright future for Gaia at its helm (eventually). Manuela has a number of ideas as to how to meld art and wine into a cohesive whole to the benefit of both and some initiatives are on the horizon. I hope to report on those as they become more fully fleshed out.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Monday, September 15, 2025

Wine imitating art: Salvo Foti's Mt Etna through the lens of Art History

In a recent interview (11/9/25) with Gambero Rosso, Salvo Foti, the pillar of tradition in Mt Etna winemaking, described a Renaissance in Mt Etna winemaking and I could not help but place the entirety of his discussion within the context of the art history of that period. 

Salvo Foti and Author

The charts below (created for use in my art blog EverythingElse 238) illustrate the art historical period preceding the Renaissance as well as the sub-groupings into which the Renaissance itself is further divided.



In his interview, Foti describes the Renaissance in Etna winemaking as beginning in the early 1990s. In art historical terms, events before this would fall into the Gothic period. In this period, tagged by Foti as the late 80s - early 90s, there was "little interest in Sicily's native grape varieties and typical agriculture in general." Etna winemaking was not viewed favorably  and the wine that was made was primarily sold in bulk at the "cellar door." Only Villagrande and Murgo bottled consistently, with most producers selling-on their grapes.

"At the beginning of the 15th century, Italy experienced a cultural rebirth, a renaissance that would massively affect all sectors of society. Turning away from the preceding Gothic and Romanesque periods' iconography, Florentine artists spurred a rejuvenation of the glories of classical art in line with a more humanistic and individualistic emerging contemporary era. Based in this flourishing new environment that empowered people to fully immerse themselves in studies of the humanities, Early Renaissance artists began to create work intensified by knowledge of architecture, philosophy, theology, mathematics, science, and design. The innovations that emerged in art during this period would go on to cause reverberations, which continue to influence creative and cultural arenas today" (theartstory.org). 

There is no common agreement as to the trigger(s) of the Renaissance of the 15th century but Foti is declarative as to the Renaissance driving forces in the case of Etna winemaking: (i) Benanti's desire to become a quality wine producer (1988) and (ii) his (Salvo's) "historical and technical-scientific research in collaboration with Professor Rocco Di Stefano, Director of the Experimental Institute of Oenology in Asti."

Key artists of the Early Renaissance include such notable names as Masaccio, Donatello, Filippo Brunellschi, and Fra Angelico. Early players in the Etna Renaissance were, according to Salvo, Alice Bonacorsi, Valcerasa, Ciro Biondi, i Vigneri, and Il Cantanta.

"The High Renaissance, subsequently coined to denote the artistic pinnacle of the Renaissance, refers to a thirty-year period exemplified by the groundbreaking, iconic works of art being made in Italy during what was considered a thriving societal prime. A rejuvenation of classical art married with a deep investigation into the humanities spurred artists of unparalleled mastery whose creations were informed by a keen knowledge of science, anatomy, and architecture, and remain today, some of the most awe-inspiring works of excellence in the historical art canon (theartstory.org)." The notables of this period include, Raphael, Michelangelo, and Leonardo da Vinci.

And then Salvo pivoted to talking about the role of "foreigners" in the Etna wine story. There is an underlying tone here that the rest of the world has gotten the narrative wrong. That the world sees the Renaissance in Etna winemaking as being synonymous with the arrival of Andrea Franchetti, Frank Cornelissen, and Marc de Grazia. As shown above, Salvo has gone to great lengths to place the Renaissance in a prior period. What they brought, he stipulates, was an enormous burst in production, promotion, and sales.

Having spent time with all three of these named producers, I am of the opinion that they also contributed to the fabric and scope of winemaking on the mountain. Regardless, this was a step forward for Mt Etna, one which I equate, in art historical terms, to the High Renaissance.

Mannersism emerged at the end of the High Renaissance and manifested as a "stylized twist" on Renaissance classicism. The name derives from the Italian word maniera which translates as "style" or "manner." Mannerism is viewed as a bridge between High Renaissance and Baroque. The chart above shows both the context and geographic distribution of the Mannerist school. As stated by the Tate Museum,

Rather than adopting the harmonious ideals associated with Raphael and Michelangelo, Mannerists went a step further to create highly artificial compositions which showed off their techniques and skills in manipulating compositional elements to create a sense of sophisticated elegance.
And this is the fear that Salvo has for Etna wines. He is concerned about those who come to Etna not to produce "Etna wines" but only "wines made on Etna." Salvo points out that the environment supports natural wines. luxury wines, artisanal wines, technological wines, and industrial wines. His fear is that "the exponential and sudden growth that is crossing the Etna wine will give space to improvisation, uncontrolled and without programming ..."


©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Saturday, September 13, 2025

A conversation with Maurizio Lunetta, Director, Etna DOC Consorzio

I had been trying since last year to get a sit down with Maurizio Lunetta, Director of the Etna Consorzio, to gain his perspective on the current and future state of the region. Perseverence paid off and Brandon and I were able to sit with him earlier in the week in the heart of Milo’s Piazza Belvedere.

Maurizio Lunetta and Brandon Tokash during
 our sit-down at Milo's Piazza Belvedere

Maurizio is an Agrinomist by training (and practice). In an earlier phase of his life, he spent 10 years in South Africa running Agricultural Research projects for the Italian Government and the EU. At the completion of that stint he traveled to Palermo and worked in its wine sector during the 1990s. He was Director of Sicilia DOC for 5 years.. 

He came to his current position at the initiative of Antonio Benanti, past President of the Consorzio. Maurizio worked as a Consultant for 6 months after which the Board of Constitution appointed him head of the Consorzio. He was not totally unfamiliar with the region as Carlo Nicolosi, father of Baron di Villagrande’s Marco Nicolosi, had been his Thesis Advisor at University.

The Consorzio had historically hired internally but it was not difficult for Maurizio coming in as an outsider because: (i) the producers did not have any conflicts with each other and (ii) they were from elsewhere anyway,

Maurizio is of the mindset that you cannot have a strong DOC without a strong Consorzio. Etna was first appointed DOC in 1968, the first Sicilian wine region to be so honored, and among the earliest in Italy. In June of 1994, the Constitution of Protection was founded with the aim of “enhancing and protecting the production of Etna wines and their territories.” The Consorzio was recognized in a 2018 Ministerial Decree and, at that time, according to Maurizio, became the owner of the brand Etna DOC. It gained control of the label, production, and the brand. It subsequently took control of production requirements and testing of bottles to ensure adherence to DOC requirements.

As Maurizio sees it, a strong DOC can manage the production such that high quality is maintained. The DOC should also have limited-gradient growth. Further, both large and small producers should be on board with the program.

The DOC covers 1,347 ha today (up from 680 in 2013; a doubling over a little more that 10 years) and Maurizio expects it to increase to 1500 ha in a year and to 2000 ha five years out. There are currently 447 growers (up from 203 in 2013) and 50% of those are planting less than 1 ha. There are 180 wine producers but only half of them have their own wineries. Wine production went from 26,135 hL in 2013 to 58,274 hL in 2024.

Prior to 2018, the DOCs border was not clearly defined. After its recognition in 2018, the Consorzio began work in this area and has now clearly defined the boundaries of the appellation. Within the broader DOC the Consorzio has sought to further subdivide the region by contrada. They began with 153 and added eight more as a part of the recently completed mapping project. Of the total defined contrade, only 30 are currently being used for grape growing. Much more work has to be done to understand and spell out inter-contrada differences. In the meantime. says Maurizio. it is a positive marketing vehicle.

The 6-person Consorzio team is very active during the course of the year. They are currently wrapping up their participation in ViniMilo2025 and are organizing EtnaDays2025

Going forward, Maurizio would like to go deeper into wine and wine-related research. They would like to explore the potential of new white and red varieties which could bolster/substitute the elements of the existing portfolio if climate change does the kind of damage that is feared. Maurizio is working with the University of Catania on plants and temperature.

Another potential area of research is timing of activities. Harvests are being done earlier and earlier; the vines’ cycle has changed but humans have not materially changed how they work these vines. Maurizio sees this as an area worth exploring.

Our conversation next turned to the challenges facing the region. Without skipping a beat Maurizio mentioned climate change. They need more research he said. One of the potential solution, as he sees it, is to move to higher elevations but he fears that if you open up the discussion re higher elevations, that folks would also be clamoring for extending the discipline to accommodate currently excluded, lower elevations. The other aspect is that while the climatic aspects may be solved by going higher, it is not clear that there is enough weathered sils at those elevations to accommodate large-scale upward movement.

Second, the Consorzio does not have a market observatory; it has to depend on members for whatever tidbits of insight they get in on market issues and trends. So rather than providing this as a service to members, the Consorzio is a sink in this case.

The third challenge is maintaining quality, especially given the intense growth in production capacity and far less so in the monitoring and quality control infrastructures.

I posed a question about the impact of tariffs on the producers. Maurizio did not seem too concerned about it as a standalone issue. He was more concerned about the decline in the value of the dollar which has effectively increased the price of the wines to customers in the US. And while the tariffs, once implemented, are fixed, the dollar could continue its decline and cause further pain to the wine sector. And if you put the tariffs on top of that, it becomes an even bigger problem. 

As regards the tariffs, importers are asking the Consorzio to share the pain and, as a result, shield the US consumer. It seems to be something that is under consideration.

************************************************************************************************
Some observations:
  • Maurizio is more of an administrator than a visionary (this is not a judgment as each role has value in its time and place) and, given where Etna wine is right now, he fits the bill. He is not focused on flowery visions of the future. Rather, his focus is on managing growth, strengthening the DOC, and promoting the region to outsiders as much as possible.
  • His pursuit of other grape varieties to fill a potential future gap is more of a "canary in a coal mine" rather than "a voice in the wilderness." In a recent Gambero Rosso interview, Salvo Foti mentioned other grape varieties that are currently not prominent but can be considered native to the region. He considers them native because they have been cultivated in the region for a very long time. He first mentioned Grenache, which grows on the northwest slopes at altitudes above 1000 m. He also mentioned Grecanico, Minnella Bianca, Minnella Nera, and other "relic" grape varieties which are currently undergoing university studies.
  • I do not know whether I failed to ask the right questions or this is a reflection of reality but we did not spend any time on Consorzio-members interaction and iniatives, either ground up or top down.
  • Maurizio indicated that the Consorzio works to center the issues and concerns of all its members, regardless of size. In a subsequent discussion with a producer, this person mentioned that one of his frustrations with the Consorzio is that most of its work appears to center the needs and concerns of the larger producers. I will continue to pull on this thread in future discussions.







©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Monday, September 8, 2025

Etna DOCs volcanic soils within the context of John Szabo’s “family of volcanic soils”

After our VinoMilo 2025 Roundtable (Volcanic Wines — The Contemporary Evolution of Volcanic Winemaking) where John Szabo, author of Volcanic Wines, was the featured guest, I wanted to see how well John’s characterization of volcanic soils mapped to the Etna reality. Towards that end, I borrowed a copy of the book from the Barone di Villagrande library (thanks Alphonso) and re-read John’s foundational material.

John stipulates that there is no such thing as volcanic wine but hold to the position that there are volcanic wines. In the former case he is saying that there are no defined qualities that link all wines made on volcanic soils together: there is no volcanic wine. There are, however, wines made from grapes grown in volcanic soils; and these he calls volcanic wines. These wines, he says, “come in a radiant, infinitely nuanced rainbow of colors, tastes, and flavors.” 

John defines volcanic soils as “soils that formed from parent volcanic material” inclusive of lava flows, tephra, soils laced with volcanic ash, and soils that ended in valleys as result of gravity or alluvial activity. He places them into four broad categories:
  • Especially young volcanic soils. These are formed on lava and “are more often rock than soil.” These soils have low water availability as enough time has not transpired for these soils to weather into water-retentive clays.
  • Soils derived from ash, sand, and tephra. These soils also have a low clay content and tend to drain rapidly.
  • Volcanic soils on hillsides. Gravity drains these soils quickly.
  • Especially old, highly weathered volcanic soils. These soils have lots of clay and good water retention.
John sees the first three members of the family listed above as relatively infertile. Further, “semi-parched, semi-starved vines produce less fruit, smaller bunches, and thicker grape skins” which lead to “more deeply colored, concentrated, structured, and ageworthy wines with a broader range of flavors.” In John’s view, the stress imposed on the vine by water and nutrient “scarcity” produces the kind of fruit that results in high-quality wines. It should be noted that good drainage is not limited to volcanic-origin soils. Non-volcanics-derived sandy soils as well as chalk soils are also well drained. Soils on hillsides, especially if low in clay content, tend to be well drained whether volcano-derived or not.

The fourth member of this family grouping has better access to water but, according to John, when matched with a dry growing season, “keeps the vines moist, constrained, and able to focus on  even, steady ripening.

Let’s see where Etna soils fall within John’s described family of
volcanic soils.

Etna Soils
"All Etna soil rests on, or directly derives from, lava that flowed and hardened for thousands of years, along with ejected pumice, lapilli, and windblown volcanic ash" (Nesto and di Savino).

Historically, eruptive events at Mt Etna have been of the Strombolian style but occasional Hawaiian-style eruptions generate considerable lapilli fall on the flanks (The Strombolian and Hawaiian styles are described in the table below.). Large active volcanoes with the Etna eruptive style present some of the most complex soil-forming environments on earth (James, et al.).

Source: http://www.geology.sdsu.edu/how_volcanoes_work

Factors such as diversity in age and characteristics of volcanic materials, land surface morphology, local climate, vegetation, and land-use history all contribute to complex soil spatial patterns. In the profile dimension, complex soils result from intermittent tephra deposition, anthropogenic disturbance (in the case of Mt Etna, over 70% of the vineyards are terraced), erosion and subsequent deposition. According to James, et al., "soil profiles may reflect the amount and frequency of tephra deposition as much as 'normal' profile-forming soil processes operating on stable surfaces."

Landscape Formation
Volcanism in the Etna region began during the middle Pleistocene, at around 600 ka. The peak today stands at 3350 m elevation and the base is 40 km across. At elevations below 1100 m, lava varies in age from the 2014/2015 flow to the 500,000-year-old tholeitic basalts of a small area on the lower part of the southern flank (James, et al.). The terrain of historical (12th century to today) flows, as well as some pre-historic flows, is dominated by aa lava (basaltic lava with a rough surface, pahoehoe (basaltic lava with a smooth or billowy surface), and toothpaste (transition between aa and pahoehoe) morphology (James, et al.).

On Etna, depositive explosive activity from the summit crater is frequent with less frequent eruptions, often with higher effusive rates, from the flank vents and Strombolian activity from vents high on the volcano. The tephra varies in deposition rate and particle size with distance and direction from the source and accumulates unevenly on rugged lava surfaces. As an example, areas on the western and northwestern slopes of Mt Etna are barren rockscapes due to insufficient topsoil for significant vineyard development.

Soil Formation
As described above, volcanic activity of Mt Etna is both effusive (lava flows) and explosive (airborne ejection of pyroclastics). According to Nesto and di Savino, the lava flows create a patchwork of terroirs that is pertinent to any discussion of Etna contradas. Initial flows are barren rock pasteurized by heat which, after cooling, require hundreds of years to erode into soil and develop hummus, and, in so doing, become suitable for vines. The erosion product is sand rich in potassium and other minerals. Organic matter, created initially by the growth of micro-organisms (and later by plants and animals), results in rich, fertile soil.

But, according to Marco Perciabobco (Department of Agriculture, Sicily Region), soil parent material in the Etna environment is primarily pyroclastic (My prior post on volcanic soils detail the weathering of these materials). Weathering of this coarse-textured parent material, according to Marco, produces soils with an "aerated hypogeal (underground) environment and the following characteristics:
  • Extremely well suited for the growth and development of vine roots
  • Soil water stagnations are rare
  • They warm easily (this generates stable conditions for the occurrence of the chemical reactions required for the weathering of the finest materials).

    Soil Distribution
    According to Perciabobco, the Department of Agriculture's soil survey dataset shows five different landscape systems in Etna: northern; northwestern; eastern; southeastern; and southern. The soils of these environments differ in the degree of weathering of the primary clay minerals. From north to south wetness decreases and so does weathering of the volcanic constituents. The soils of the northern landscape, when compared to the soils of the south, are finer textured, have a higher organic matter content, and a have a higher value of cation-exchange capacity.

    I spent some time with Benjamin North Spencer (author, The New Wines of Mt Etna) to gain his perspective of the soils of the region. The sub-regions that Ben described were the Southwest, Southeast, East, Northeast, and North. A summary of his perspectives are contained in the chart following and additional clarifying information is provided in the text following the chart.


    Southwest
    The current surface that we see on Mt. Etna today is the Mongibello facade, consisting of material 15,000 years old and younger. That material overlays an earlier, much wider, shield volcano that has outcroppings in the extreme north and south of the Etna wine region. The material overlaying the shield volcano ranges from 10 to 100 m in depth and consists of recent volcanics: silica, lapilli (tephra of from 2 to 64 mm in size) rippidu, and bombs/blocks (effluvia greater than 64 mm in size are called bombs when molten and blocks when solid).

    Southeast
    This area has a massive fissure that flows up from the city of Catania to the central craters. According to Ben, there are 35 lateral parasitic craters that feed off the central plumbing. These craters form cones of sand and are endowed with pyroclastic that overlay on themselves. These cones have metal at the top and, as a result of gravitational erosion, a lot more silica and organically rich material at the plateaus. There is a wealth of rich organic material in the areas between the cones, as well as a lot of rich, black volcanic material.

    This is a great place to grow grapes: all of the cones; all of the aspects that are presented; all of the different elevations ranging between 400 and 900 m. This is also the area that receives the largest amount of of volcanic sand from the regular eruptions of the volcano. Ben says that we are talking about 1500 lbs of fresh soil each year because of the way the winds spin around the volcano.

    East
    The Valle del Bove, the horseshoe-shaped structure that dominates on this side of the volcano, is, according to Ben, the original shield volcano's crater. This crater blew the top (15,000 years ago, according to Ben; 8,000 and 60,000 years according to other sources) off the mountain and then fell back in on itself. It collected snowfall from the mountain, forming a glacial lake, and decomposing the volcanics that were the core of the seven volcanoes that comprised the Elliptico. The eastern flank of the volcano was involved in a landslide and deposited water and eroded volcanics over the slope where we find Milo located today. These eroded volcanics were distributed over a very steep and plateaued environment.

    Milo’s soil is sandy and of volcanic origin with a substantial portion of ripiddu (lapilli and eruptive pumice) intermixed with red soils from the Sahara Desert deposited here by the aforementioned winds. The sandy soils drain rapidly, forcing the roots to dig deep in search of moisture and nutrients. 

    The EtnaDOC Consorzio recently introduced a new DOC map with 142 contrade, eight of which are located in the Milo comune. The map, with an exploded Milo section, is illustrated in the chart below and the physical characteristics of the contrade are illustrated in the chart immediately following.

    Information sources: Ugo Nicosia (Marketing and Communications Director, Azienda Agricola Iuppa); communication with Brandon Tokash


    Milo is the only area within the DOC where Etna Bianco Superiore can be produced.

    Wines on the volcano's east are salty. According to Ben, the soils have a high mineral content but, in addition, breezes coming in off the sea are trapped at altitude and the salt moisture they contain come back to earth with the rain. These mineral, saline wines are endowed with incredible acidity and longevity and, if produced well, can age for 15 to 20 years.

    Northeast
    Overlying lava flows, most from the Mongibelo volcano. The soils are very fertile due to the rain softening the volcanics and mixing in the organics that fall out of the forests that sit above the DOC areas.

    This area has a lot of exposure to the Alcantara Valley. It is exposed to the winds from the north that flow in between the volcano and the Nebrodi Mountains and to the Grecale in its southern reaches.

    Steep slopes with great exposure to sunshine during the summer and at midday.

    We start to see more international varieties here: Syrah, Chardonnay, Nero d' Avola. Softer tannins, more opulent fruit for the Nerello Mascalese here than for the same variety to the north. Also greater tropical notes.

    North
    As it relates to climate, my research shows that the Nebrodi Mountains offer some protection to the north slope of Mt Etna but some wind does make it over the top, bringing rain in the autumn and winter and moisture year-round. There are some benefits to this moisture though. The runoff, unlike the case for the runoff on the eastern and southeastern slopes, proceeds downhill at a moderate pace and is absorbed by the lava beneath the soil, This water store then becomes available to the vine roots during the growing season. The major beneficiary of this process is the area between the towns of Solicchiata and Randazzo. The wind from the northeast blows steam from the vents to the southeast creating a shadow which serves to reduce evaporation.

    Ben sees the soils of the North as being very young and associated primarily with the current facade (15,000 years old and less). As a result of the youth of the volcanic deposits, the wines have great fruit, great structure, and longevity. The wines also have elegance, better acidity, minerals, and tannins, features that make them collectible. They are also delicious up front.

    Ben sees a change in weather as you get up towards Rovitello. There is a dryness in the soil and old vines (100+ years) are planted on their own roots

    As you move towards Randazzo, the growers are farming on an outcropping of the ancient volcano. The elevations here are a little lower. Ben says that you can see the interconnectivity between the vines, the old volcanoes, and, maybe, a little bit of limestone that has been pushed up by the tectonic collision between the African and Eurasian plates.

    He sees the whites on this side as having a bit more intensity of fruit, more mature fruit, and saline mineral flavors with some tropical notes. The grapes here do not experience as significant a temperature shock as is the case in the previously visited sub-regions.

    ****************************************************************
    Etna DOC appears to have every example of the family of soils described by John in his book and some. For example, the soils in Milo is a mix of eroded volcanics, new emissions, and dust blown i. from the Sahara Desert.

    While the greater part of the family, as described by John, has infertile soils, the soils on Etna are moderately fertile. 

    One area in which volcanic soils may be linked is an area not identified by John. Based on my research, the decomposition of volcanic material forms allophane, a type of primordial clay, which is sticky for nutrients and holds water temporarily so that it can be accessed by the vine roots. The allophanes, due to their construct, provide a much greater surface area for nutrient attachment than does other more traditional clays.

    In future works I will continue to build out on the soil composition at the contrada level.


    ©Wine -- Mise en abyme