Aromas of red cherries, sliced strawberries and fresh herbs. Medium-bodied with subtle concentration that expresses an array of fresh black and red berries across the palate. Silky tannins. Fresh. 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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94
AUGUST 2022
Tenuta Tascante Contrada Sciaranuova Etna DOC 2019
Aromas of red cherries, sliced strawberries and fresh herbs. Medium-bodied with subtle concentration that expresses an array of fresh black and red berries across the palate. Silky tannins. Fresh. Drink or hold. 95+
OCTOBER 2021
Tenuta Tascante Contrada Sciaranuova Vigna Vecchia Etna DOC 2017
Made with fruit from old vines, the Tenuta Tascante 2017 Etna Rosso Contrada Sciaranuova V.V. is powerful and delicate at the same time, and it strikes a careful balance between these two opposing forces. This is one of the biggest compliments you can give to a wine from Etna, one of the most dramatic and violent winemaking panoramas on Earth. This lovely Nerello Mascalese shows aromas of cherry and wild rose with toasted nut, scorched earth and lavender essence. The concentration and staying power from those old vines add considerably to the depth, tannic power and complexity of this age-worthy bottle. 94
OCTOBER 2019
Tenuta Tascante Contrada Sciaranuova Etna DOC 2016
The 2016 Etna Rosso Contrada Sciaranuova is made with fruit from vines planted in 2008 at 730 meters above sea level. This is a classic expression from Etna with an even dose of wild berry, rose, mineral and spice. This wine shows an attractive level of balance and harmony, and I am especially attracted to those distinctive volcanic or mineral tones that frame this delicate, almost fragile wine. This Etna Rosso is mostly aged in large Slavonian oak casks, but a small part goes into 300-liter tonneaux. This adds a bit more volume and girth to the finish. Production is 5,000 bottles. 92
JUNE 2021
Tenuta Tascante Contrada Sciaranuova Vigna Vecchia Etna DOC 2017
The 2017 Contrada Sciaranuova Etna Rosso V.V. pulls you close with a darkly alluring bouquet of crushed ashen stone, violets, fresh blackberries and savory exotic spice. It’s silky and pliant in feel, yet it quickly firms up through a display of tart woodland berries, minerals and brisk acids. A coating of grippy tannin emerges through the finale, creating a classically dry and youthfully tense sensation, as hints of licorice and balsamic-tinged fruits slowly dissipate. While I don’t see this as a wine to hold over the long term, a few years in the cellar will help it soften a bit. I look forward to tasting this same bottling from a more classic vintage. The V.V. hails from 60-year-old vines in the Sciaranuova vineyard, refined in 25-hectoliter Slavonian oak casks for 12 months. 93
JUNE 2021
Tenuta Tascante Contrada Rampante Etna DOC 2017
The 2017 Contrada Rampante Etna Rosso is stunning from the first tilt of the glass, showing the ripe nature of the vintage, yet balancing it wonderfully against the smoky and savory characteristics of its source. Musky cherries, dried roses, crushed black stone and a complementary hint of charred wood can all be discerned. It’s silky and pliant in feel, with sweet red berries contrasted by zesty acids and minerals. While this may not be a Rampante for long-term cellaring, it still possesses a balanced display of fine tannins that frame the expression well. There’s so much pleasure to be found here today and over the next five to eight years. 91
NOVEMBER 2020
Tenuta Tascante “Buonora” Etna DOC 2019
Racy and mineral driven, this opens with delicate but enticing scents of white spring blossom, orchard fruit and citrus. The chiseled, tangy palate features ripe pear, green melon and Meyer lemon, while crisp acidity and mineral notes give great energy. 91
JUNE 2021
Tenuta Tascante "Tefra" Rosato Etna DOC 2020
A delicate display of white flowers, crushed stone and peach skins wafts up from the 2020 Tefra. This incredibly pretty Nerello Mascalese Rosato pleases all the senses, as silky textures give way to citrus-laced orchard fruits, melon and sweet inner herbal tones. Residual acids linger, maintaining freshness through a finish of salty persistence. Make sure to give the Tefra a little time to unwind in the glass, as it seemed to get better and better each time I revisited it. 93+
JUNE 2021
Tenuta Tascante Contrada Pianodario Etna DOC 2017
The 2017 Contrada Pianodario Etna Rosso opens slowly, focused at first on wild herbs and hints of damp earth. It blossoms with swirling, as a dusty display of dried strawberries and rose hips fills the glass. It’s soft, even fleshy in feel, yet supported by brisk acids and ripe red and black fruits. A coating of fine tannin mounts toward the close, revealing the Pianodario’s youthful poise, all under an air of violet florals and a jolt of tart woodland berries. This is certainly the most structured of Tenuta Tascante’s single vineyards from 2017, but also the most likely to benefit from medium-term cellaring. |