•Appellation: Contrada CALDERARA SOTTANA Etna DOC – Denominazione di Origine Controllata
•Type: red wine - still
•Harvest time: 26th of October 2015
•Grape: 100% nerello mascalese
•Fermentation: traditional fermentation by wild yeasts in small wood open vat.
•Maceration: 21 days
•Ageing: 5 hectoliters tonneaux and old french oak barrique, aging 18-20 months.
•Alcohol & Acidity: Vol % 14,50- Ph: 3,58
•Bottled date: October 2017
•Num. of bottles: 1500
CALDERARA SOTTANA 2015 - ETNA ROSSO D.O.C.
AYUNTA WINES - RELEASE 2018
"CALDERARA SOTTANA" 2015 - ETNA ROSSO D.O.C.
"NAVIGABILE" 2016 - ETNA ROSSO D.O.C.
"PIANTE / SPARSE" 2016 - ETNA BIANCO D.O.C.
CALDERARA SOTTANA is the small spot (the local definition is "contrada") on the northern slope of the volcano at almost 700 mt. above the sea level. This area is able to delivery some of the highest temperature of the volcano’ slopes on a dark soil extremely rich of rocks. This brings an incredible texture and powerful in this wine representing the highest expression of our best single-vineyard, the first we started working with, the one with the oldest vines, the one always able to surprise in flavors and structure of the wine. We mapped the oldest vines of pure Nerello Mascalese, selected by nature and by the wise hands of the ancestors. Dealing with this vineyard is a terrific work: everything must be done separately and by hand. You can’t be on a schedule, you just give to the vines the time needed, no rush, never stopping. It’s a challenge of physical endurance against the booming fertility of the soil, non-stop delivering any kind of herbs among the vines, trying to slow down the unstoppable rush of the plant towards ripening, giving it the right rhythm, suffering together to delivery, both men and vines exhausted, the miracle of all the magnetic energy of the volcano in the grapes. This wine is liquid stone, this wine is our tribute to the Mount Etna.
NAVIGABILE 2016 - ETNA ROSSO D.O.C.
•Appellation: Etna DOC – Denominazione di Origine Controllata
•Type: red wine – still
•Harvest time: 18th of October 2016
•Grape: 90% nerello mascalese, 10% nerello cappuccio.
•Fermentation: traditional by wild yeasts at open air.
•Maceration: 18 days
•Ageing: big barrels (5-10 hectoliters) of cherry wood and oak for 14 month.
•Alcohol and Acidity: % Vol. 13,5 / Ph: 3,48
•Bottled date: October 2017
•Num. of bottles: 4850
The name "NAVIGABILE" in italian means “able to be shipped by sail” and was historically the way the local wine merchants, since the XVIII° century, used to name their top wines. The Navigabile® is made following the tradition by grapes of Nerello Mascalsese with a small amount of Nerello Cappuccio. The Nerello Cappuccio traditionally was planted (from 5% to 20% of the whole vineyard) among the N.Mascalese to bring some smoothness and a gentle taste to the wine made crushing together the different grapes. “Navigabile”, at that time was meant to be a wine capable to travel across the sea, up the other side of the world, maintaining all the quality and fragrance. An inestimable value for those times, when shipping were made by sail. After years of research, we realized this characteristic was related to some very particular details used in the grape selection and winemaking process. At that time only quality and human experience could delivery a great wine. We are glad to present our modern interpretation of that old criteria, able today to delivery our very idea of taste and character in the Etna red wines. We ask to this wine to sail across the world as ambassador of our work on Mount Etna.
PIANTE / SPARSE 2016 - ETNA BIANCO D.O.C.
•Appellation: Etna DOC – Denominazione di Origine Controllata
•Type: white wine - still
•Harvest time: the 2nd of October 2016
•Grape: 90% carricante, 10% catarratto.
•Fermentation: fermentation by wild yeasts in stainless steel.
•Ageing: stainless steel and bottle.
•Alcohol & Acidity: Vol.% 12,50 - Ph: 3,18
•Bottled date: June 2016
•Num. of bottles: 3800
In Italian “PIANTE / SPARSE” literally means “stray-vines” and this is properly how this wine has been made. We don’t own a whole vineyards of white grapes, but in our old vineyards of red grapes, the ancestor used to plant, here and there, some vines of white grapes. Mainly Carricante , but also Catarratto as well. Nobody really can say if this was made to have some fresh and juicy grape for the table, or to have some white grape to bring juice and freshness to the red wine. In any case, we always considered this white spare vines as a treasure: with a careful work we mapped them, understanding how to lead them to a dedicated and separated harvest thought to produce a very classy white wine. Acidity, freshness and a prominent mineral body are the main feature of its personality. Timing is everything in producing this wine: guessing the perfect ripening timing of all the different plants of the different varietals. This is why this is a very rare wine, produced only in the best vintages and just in case of a perfect balance in grapes.