Contrada C 2011
Mount Etna had two lighter years, ‘09 and ’10 that produced some fine and elegant wines, able to represent the gentle sophistication that grapes growing on the north side of the mountain can transmit to wine. Instead, 2011 is what one calls a great vintage. Late rains and long season made it possible for growers to pick grapes that were able to convey extraordinary richness to the wines in every Contrada of the mountain. This is not, however, the overwhelming kind of vintage where massiveness chokes out some of the finer features of its wines. There is in this vintage a measured and hard structure that contains and will elevate the growing richness of 2011. We picked in this contrada on October 29th.
Vineyard age: 80 years
Vineyard area: 1.2 hectares
Vineyard density: 8,000 vines per Ha
Vineyard altitude: 550 m/1,000 ft a.s.l.
Yield per hectare: 18 Hl/Ha
Fertilization: None
Spraying: Clay, propolis, sulphur, copper, vitamin C
Vinification: Alcoholic fermentation in stainless steel vats for 15 days
Aging: Malolactic fermentation followed by 18 months aging in large, neutral oak barrels
Bottling: April 2013
REVIEWS
“An elegant, incredibly pure expression of Nerello Mascalese. The wine is clean and focused, offering aromas of bright cherry, raspberry, fresh minerals, dark licorice and hints of mint. It possesses a medium body supported fine tannins and excellent balance from start to finish. Although, this still needs a bit more time in bottle to flesh out, it is a great example of how elegant and pure the wines from Andrea Franchetti can be. (Best 2016-2026)”
— International Wine Report, May 2014, 92 points