2012 Syrah Sole di Sesta

Cottanera was started when Guglielmo Cambria planted vines on the northern slopes of Etna in the early 1990s. At first the estate’s focus was on making wines with international red grapes, but that has changed greatly over the last ten years and wines made from native cultivars are now the Cottanera's most important. Another sign of just how far Cottanera has come in a relatively short time span is that the estate is finally starting to bottle the wines by contrada (i.e., districts); previously, they only made a single Etna Rosso. Cottanera has ample choice in this regards, as they owns vineyards in the contrada Zotto Rinoto and Solicchiata (similar to Feudo di Mezzo in soil composition and geologic origin but the lower part of which is very different due to a heavier clay content). A new wine is in the works from the Diciasette Salme vineyard, which is characterized by soils with a hefty percentage of clay; some of Etna’s most powerful wines are made here. Last but not least, in Calderara Soprana, Cottanera grows white grapes. The first vintage of a wine specifically made from this site will be released next year.