Etna Rosso DOC "Contrada Santo Spirito" 2016 Particella 466 - Costanzo

Etna Rosso DOC Contrada Santo Spirito Particella 466 2016 — Palmento Costanzo

The Etna Rosso DOC Contrada Santo Spirito Particella 466 2016 from Palmento Costanzo expresses the singular character of Sicily’s great volcanic red wines. Sourced from the slopes of Mount Etna, it combines the finesse of Nerello Mascalese, the depth of old vines and the mineral energy of lava soils.

The 2016 vintage gives a precise, tense and already complex wine, marked by cherry, red berries, spices, dried herbs, smoky stone and a subtle ferrous touch. The palate remains elegant, structured and persistent, with the saline freshness that defines great Etna Rosso.

Terroir and winemaking

The cuvée comes from Contrada Santo Spirito, in Passopisciaro, on the northern slope of Mount Etna. The vines, trained in alberello on volcanic terraces, root deeply into black and brown sands mixed with lava rock and rich organic matter.

The blend combines 90% Nerello Mascalese and 10% Nerello Cappuccio. Grapes from the oldest vines are selected by hand, then fermented with indigenous yeasts in truncated wooden vats. Long ageing in French oak refines the tannins while preserving the wine’s volcanic tension.

Tasting notes

The 2016 vintage and service

The 2016 vintage offers a balanced and precise expression of Etna’s northern slope. Fruit ripeness remains shaped by altitude, cool nights and volcanic soils, giving a wine that is aromatic, tense and deeply mineral.

This wine can be served now after measured aeration, while still retaining fine ageing potential. Serve at around 16 to 17°C, in large glasses, with gradual opening rather than prolonged decanting.