A nose of wild strawberries and sour cherries has hints of graphite and crushed rocks and then tanned leather and grilled meat. The palate is bright and bouncy with strawberry-cherry flavor, a squeeze of blood orange and a salty kick.
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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 2023
Tenuta Tascante Contrada Sciaranuova Etna DOC 2019
A nose of wild strawberries and sour cherries has hints of graphite and crushed rocks and then tanned leather and grilled meat. The palate is bright and bouncy with strawberry-cherry flavor, a squeeze of blood orange and a salty kick. 91
AUGUST 2023
Tenuta Tascante "Tefra" Rosato Etna DOC 2022
The pale pink of the glass belies the intense aromatics and rich mouthfeel of this rosé. Wild strawberries and peach candy on the nose give way to more berries and stone fruit on the palate, with a bit of blood orange and lime and a lick of quartz on the finish. 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. 91
JUNE 2022
Tenuta Tascante “Buonora” Etna DOC 2021
The 2021 Etna Bianco Buonora is nuanced and savory in the glass, impressing with a mix of yellow apple, dried florals, hints of raw almond and smoke. This is soft-textured with a lovely acid balance that motivates its saline-tinged orchard fruits and hints of sour melon. The Buonora finishes with finesse, both lightly structured and classically dry. This is already so pretty today, but with the potential for short-term cellaring. 95
JUNE 2024
Tenuta Tascante Contrada Sciaranuova Vigna Vecchia Etna DOC 2019
A pale ruby color in the glass, the 2019 Etna Rosso Contrada Sciaranuova VV wafts up with a gorgeous, perfumed bouquet that blends exotic spices with dried cherries, sage and hints of worn leather. It's luxuriously soft and supple, with a core of tart red berry fruits and mineral tones to balance. Blood orange tones mingle with juicy acidity under an air of rosy inner florals. Long and staining on the palate, the 2019 finishes classically dry but not overtly tannic, casting out a dusting of clove spice that lingers on and on. This is a sleeping giant. 94+
JUNE 2024
Tenuta Tascante Contrada Pianodario Etna DOC 2020
A gorgeous pure ruby color in the glass, the distinctly savory 2020 Etna Rosso Contrada Pianodario wafts up with a dusty blend of dried roses, cherries, cloves, shavings of cedar and a hint of smoke. This frames textures of pure silk with stony minerality and masses of ripe red berry fruits, all guided by zesty acidity. The 2020 tapers off with outstanding length, crunchy and structured, finishing with notes of sour citrus and a lovely, cheek-puckering inner tension. 94
AUGUST 2019
Tenuta Tascante Contrada Pianodario Etna DOC 2016
Plenty of smoke, pumice, cedar, pine cones and cigar box on this one, not to mention dried strawberries and red licorice. Then come hints of treacle tart and fudge. Lots of mineral drive on the palate, which is wrapped up neatly in fine tannins. Medium-bodied and quite long on the finish. Drink now. 93
JUNE 2024
Tenuta Tascante Contrada Rampante Etna DOC 2020
The 2020 Etna Rosso Contrada Rampante displays a pale ruby color, wafting up with a bouquet of dusty rose, incense, rubbed sage and crushed raspberries. It’s round and supple yet light on its feet, possessing crisp red berry fruits and sweet spices that swirl across a core of brilliant acidity. A tart cranberry crunchiness lingers on as hints of citrus add tension atop a fine web of silky tannins. This is an understated and beautiful rendition of Rampante. |