2014 Etna Rosso Nireddu

Calcagno represents everything that Italy does so well in wine. An older generation of sharp, passionate individuals, a new one that is just as passionate and being intelligently worked into the estate’s mechanisms, a small vineyard holding in an exceptionally high quality viticultural area, and belief in local high quality native grape varieties. Calcagno is now into its fifth generation, and Giusy, daughter of Franco Calcagno (who runs the estate with his brother Gianni), is slowly starting to have a bigger role. The brothers used to sell bulk wine until they decided to estate bottle; their first labeled wine was sold in 2007 (that year, they released an IGT Nerello Mascalese Feudo di Mezzo), and then in 2008 they produced their first DOC Etna Rosso Arcuria. Besides Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio, the Calcagno siblings own quite a few vines of Minnella Bianca, a local white grape that is part of the traditional Etna Bianco blend. The wines are made with the help of winemaker Alessandro Bianco, formerly of Passopisciaro, who joined in 2010 and whose first full vintage was the 2011. The brothers tell me that starting with the 2016 vintage their reds will no longer be aged in used barriques but rather in large 20hL barrels to further increase the fragrance and easy drinking quality of their wines.