Smoky and slightly reduced, this shows licorice, strawberries and cherries. The fruit character is brilliant on the palate with juicy acidity and firm yet ripe tannins, medium body and a good, tight finish. Drink now.
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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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94
OCTOBER 2024
Tenuta Tascante Contrada Sciaranuova Etna DOC 2020
![]() Smoky and slightly reduced, this shows licorice, strawberries and cherries. The fruit character is brilliant on the palate with juicy acidity and firm yet ripe tannins, medium body and a good, tight finish. Drink now. 95
APRIL 2025
Tenuta Tascante Contrada Sciaranuova Etna DOC 2020
![]() From vineyards planted in 2008, the Tenuta Tascante 2020 Etna Rosso Contrada Sciaranuova (with 5,500 bottles created) has a ruby shine that seems more luminous in this vintage. The bouquet is subtle, but there is noteworthy complexity here with ashy mineral, pressed violet and cassis. There is also an interesting note of bitter almond that leans directly into a tight tannic backbone. This contrada based in Randazzo sits at 730 meters in elevation and enjoys both northern and southern exposures. The wine ages in 25-hectoliter Slavonian oak casks for 12 months with a small percentage of 300-liter tonneaux as well. 93
OCTOBER 2024
Tenuta Tascante Contrada Sciaranuova Vigna Vecchia Etna DOC 2020
![]() A lighter Etna red with citrus, pears and berries as well as floral character. Light- to medium-bodied, this has fine tannins and a crisp finish. Drink and enjoy. ![]() NOVEMBER 2025
Tenuta Tascante Contrada Sciaranuova Etna Bianco DOC
![]() 92
APRIL 2025
Tenuta Tascante “Ghiaia Nera” Etna DOC 2022
![]() This is a large production of 85,000 bottles that sources its fruit from various plots planted in 2004 and 2007 at 600 meters in elevation on terraces made with volcanic rocks. The Tenuta Tascante 2022 Etna Rosso Ghiaia Nera offers focused fruit aromas of redcurrant and cranberry. The wine shows a dark ruby color and medium texture. Its informal personality would match a plate of home-cooked pasta or a wood-oven pizza. Aged in oak for 12 months, these results are charming and versatile. 93
OCTOBER 2024
Tenuta Tascante Contrada Sciaranuova Etna DOC 2020
![]() Lovely perfumes of flowers and rose stems to subtle red fruits and oranges follow through to a medium to full body. Tight, focused fruit and tannins lead to a crisp finish. Drink now. 91
MAY 2025
Tenuta Tascante “Ghiaia Nera” Etna DOC 2022
![]() The 2022 Etna Rosso Ghiaia Nera is darkly floral and surprisingly rich. Autumnal spices and dusty rose complement cherry sauce and hints of mint on the nose. Cool and round, yet juicy to the core, it sweeps across the palate with ripe red and blue fruits as an air of lavender forms. This maintains energy even as it tapers off staining and gently tannic, leaving a resonance of licorice to fade slowly. 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. |
