2020 Girolamo Russo Etna Bianco Nerina (750ml)

Carricante from Etna, Sicily, Italy

B-21 Top Recommendation
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Described as “one of the most talented and consistent producers on Etna” by the Wine Advocate’s Monica Larner, this comprehensive selection from Girolamo Russo features some of Sicily’s top-rated Mount Etna wines, well priced for fans of its rich, distinctive volcanic flavors and equally appealing for newbies looking to explore the outstanding range of Etna wines from a masterful winemaker that “never disappoints.”

Despite its steep hostile terrain and frequent volcanic eruptions, Sicilians have grown grapes on Mount Etna for centuries, the sloping high altitude vineyards boasting layers of mineral-rich volcanic soil that's perfect for growing indigenous varietals. While the terraced vineyards have attracted winemakers and consultants from all over the world in recent decades, winemaker Giuseppe Russo is Sicilian born and bred, drawn back to his family’s roots in Passopisciaro after the death of his father Girolamo and establishing the winery that bears his father’s name in 2005. Spanning 15 hectares on Etna’s steep, windy northern slope, Girolamo Russo’s organically farmed vineyards are planted to indigenous varieties at altitudes between 650 and 780 meters above sea level, with many of its oldest, ungrafted bush vines ranging up to 100 years of age located in designated, single vineyards known locally as “contradas.” Crafting each wine with the same meticulous attention including hand harvesting grapes, fermenting with native yeasts and aging the wines for a minimum 6 months additional time in bottle, Giuseppe’s fresh and aromatic 92 pt. 2019 Girolamo Russo Etna Rosso 'a Rina is an appealing entry level blend of 90% Nerello Mascalese with 10% Nerello Cappuccio, aged in a mix of large Slavonian oak casks and concrete tanks for 12 months to yield bright red fruit flavors and well balanced mineral-tinged tannins. Blending mostly Carricante with a mix of other indigenous white grapes, Giuseppe aged the aromatic 94 pt. 2020 Girolamo Russo Etna Bianca Nerina in mostly stainless steel with about a third in large barrel for 6 months, its bright, ripe fruit hinting of citrus and spice and expressing its energetic volcanic origins with an intensely mineral finish. From “one of the best crus on the volcano” according to the Wine Advocate’s Monica Larner, the richly complex 94 pt. 2018 Girolamo Russo Etna Rosso Feudo di Mezzo is nearly all Nerello Mascalese from Girolamo’s tiny plot of 60- to 80-year-old vines, aged in a mix of large, used casks for 18 months and revealing delicate, earthy fruit with impressive structure and lush texture certain to appeal to fans of Pinot Noir and Nebbiolo. Described as “elegant to the point of being ethereal” by the Wine Enthusiast’s Kerin O’Keefe, the imposing 95 pt. 2018 Girolamo Russo Etna Rosso San Lorenzo is sourced from Girolamo’s oldest Nerello Mascalese vines nearing 100 years of age grown at the highest altitudes, offering rich aromatic fruit and a silky, long-lived flinty finish, its epic depth promising years of evolution.

Crafting wines as intriguing as the erupting volcano itself, this outstanding selection from Girolamo Russo offers a terrific opportunity to mix a case of exceptional Sicilian wines from one of Mount Etna’s top winemakers and enjoy the full range at value pricing - echoing the words of Vinous critic Eric Guido, “there’s never been a better time to explore Sicilian wine.”

94JS

Ripe and fresh, this is brimming with citrus and wild-herb aromas. So complex and expressive, this leaps and bounds across the palate. All the volcanic energy, underlined by fine tannins that push the finish out a long way. Drink or hold.

94 points, James Suckling (Oct 2021)

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$31.98

Compare At: $34.99

1 bottle in stock. Ships in 1 to 2 business days.

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