This has a purity and focus with dried-apple and pear character as well as stone. Some flint undertones. Medium-bodied, it has tension and a solid core of fruit. Tight and precise. Lovely finish. Drink or hold.
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Sicily’s star is ascendant in the wine community, and it seems that when anyone looks at Sicily these days, their eyes are immediately drawn to the island’s most prominent topographic feature, the great volcano Mount Etna. Etna wines are almost as hot as the lava inside that peak, metaphorically speaking. Sicily has been well known as a major source of Italian wine forever, but until relatively recently it was viewed as a producer of bulk wines for export or cheap everyday wines. With the revolution in quality that has taken place on the island in the past decade, though, that reputation has been turned on its head, and Sicilian wines are being sought out by wine buyers and consumers—none more so than the wines of Etna.
The Tasca d'Almerita family, one of Sicily's oldest and most esteemed wine families, is now led by seventh generation Alberto Tasca. The family, who has been making wine across Sicily for over 200 years, is a leading producer of Etna wines at its Tenuta Tascante estate (the name is a portmanteau of Tasca and Etna). The estate was founded in 2007 with the purchase of two vineyards in the communes of Castiglione di Sicilia and Randazzo on the north face of the volcano. The northern exposure is a cool-climate area, due to the combination of elevation and less direct sun, which helps to retain acidity in the wines.
The Tasca family currently owns four parcels, located in the contrade of Pianodario and Sciaranova in Randazzo, and Rampante and Grasà in Castiglione. (A contrada is a small subdivision of a commune, based on various defining criteria such as elevation, cultural/historical significance, or the age of past lava flows.) The vineyards are mostly at elevations of 2,450 to 2,600 feet (750–800 meters) on the 11,000-foot mountain. All are certified as sustainable under SOStain, a Sicilian-based program that rates wineries and vineyards based on their impact on the environment, in conjunction with the Italian Ministry of the Environment’s VIVA indicators of sustainability.
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LOCATIONWINERY: Castiglione di Sicilia (Catania province), Sicily VINEYARD: Mount Etna, Sicily VIEW IN GOOGLE MAPS REGION DETAILS |
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93
OCTOBER 2024
Tenuta Tascante “Buonora” Etna DOC 2023
![]() This has a purity and focus with dried-apple and pear character as well as stone. Some flint undertones. Medium-bodied, it has tension and a solid core of fruit. Tight and precise. Lovely finish. Drink or hold. 92
MAY 2025
Tenuta Tascante Contrada Rampante Etna DOC 2021
![]() A savory mix of crushed rocks, ash, dusty earth and woodland berries introduces the brooding 2021 Etna Rosso Contrada Rampante. It sweeps across the palate with soft textures offset by a wiry framework of acidity and minerals. Rosy inner florals cascade throughout and a note of tart raspberry saturates. The 2021 finishes pleasantly long, leaving grippy tannins and hints of sour citrus to pinch at the cheeks. Patience is required. 95
OCTOBER 2024
Tenuta Tascante “Ghiaia Nera” Etna DOC 2022
![]() A very pretty, perfumed, young Etna rosso with plenty of fresh flowers, focus and finesse. Medium-bodied, it has fine tannins and a long, bright finish. Best ever? Drink now or hold. 94
JULY 2025
Tenuta Tascante Contrada Rampante Etna DOC 2021
![]() Very spicy and smoky, showing graphite, almost sulfur, as well as incense and red fruit. Medium- to full-bodied, austere yet balanced. The juicy palate is supple and crisp with velvety tannins and a long, dusty finish. Drinkable now but best from 2026. 91
MAY 2025
Tenuta Tascante “Buonora” Etna DOC 2024
![]() The 2024 Etna Bianco Buonora is a total pleasure to take in, opening with a whiff of sweet smoke and crushed stone, a dusting of confectioner's spice and notes of freshly sliced peach. It's round and playful in style with zesty acidity and crisp orchard fruits that pepper the palate with crunchy tension. Sour citrus puckers the cheeks as a resonance of candied lime lingers on and on. The 2024 aims to please. There's ample complexity here, especially for the price. 94
MAY 2025
Tenuta Tascante Contrada Sciaranuova Etna DOC 2021
![]() A delicate blend of savory herbs, wet stones and wild strawberries introduces the 2021 Etna Rosso Contrada Sciaranuova. This is lifted and pure in style with nuances of spice and a tactile mineral tinge complicating its pretty red berry fruits. Cool-toned acidity refreshes the senses as grippy tannins linger and the 2021 finishes structured and full of tension, leaving a hint of sour citrus that puckers the cheeks. The Sciaranuova is the most complete wine in this lineup. 96
JULY 2025
Tenuta Tascante Contrada Sciaranuova Etna Bianco DOC 2023
![]() Marzipan style with a slightly oxidative complexity and fruit sweetness. On the nose, aromas of jasmine, toast, almonds, white pepper and seaweed. Quite full-bodied with weight and density, fruit concentration and zesty yet integrated acidity. The mineral finish is tingling and citrusy. Drink or hold. 93
JULY 2025
Tenuta Tascante Contrada Pianodario Etna DOC 2021
![]() A polished, spicy wine focused on restrained fruit with a leafy touch and spicy depth. Juicy on the palate, this has a ripe and smooth attack, velvety tannins and a slightly leafy finish. Well-balanced. Drink or hold. |
