13 of Sicily’s (& Mount Etna’s)
Great Reds and Whites
With Brendan Jansen MW and Kristen McGann
"Making wine here certainly isn’t for the faint-hearted. The terroir changes constantly, with every belch of black ash, which happens continually. Consequently, there are now 142 contradas (comparable to the lieu-dit or cru in France), wrapped around the mountain in a horseshoe shape, each defined by elevation and climate, and by the individual lava flows that have swept across the soils.
Winemakers here are quick to highlight this unique terroir. They point out the cool nights and warm days, the intense sunlight and the old, higher-elevation vineyards, which are largely bush ‘alberello’ trained, with some even ungrafted and pre-phylloxera vines. Combine that with the largely native varieties grown here – with tough little Nerello Mascalese leading the lighter-style reds and Carricante making up the bulk of the intense, signature whites –
and it’s easy to understand why Etna has become catnip for wine lovers.
(Fiona Sims, Decanter)
Taste 13 Mount Etna Reds and Whites from some of the region’s top producers:
Gaja | Feudo Montoni | Baglio Oro | Tenuta di Fessina
Terrazze dell'Etna | Pietradolce
Monday 17 March
Session 2: Sicily - Mount Etna’s Reds and Whites
Hosted By Brendan Jansen MW & Kristen McGann
Masterclass: 6-8pm, 13 Wines with Kate Lamont canapes throughout, $115
Understanding Sicily
Sicily is the largest wine producing region in Italy – one that is poised to expand as wine enthusiasts look for new territories and unexpected flavors. A true microcosm of Italy, Sicily can be described as a “viticultural continent”.
With its 98,000 hectares of vineyards, it leads Tuscany and Piemonte in wine production and eschews stereotypes about southern wine. Because while Sicily’s climate may be balmy year-round, it is a hilly region marked by mountains, including Mount Etna and the Madonie Mountains. Due to these high elevations and island ventilation, Sicilian wine has a distinctive Mediterranean personality with a freshness and elegance that sets it apart from other southern wines.
The profile of the region has grown in the past 30 years thanks to the arrival of international grapes, but a new wave of winemakers is returning to Sicily’s roots and betting on quality, sustainability and the island’s indigenous grapes to pave the way forward. These pioneers understand that the true strength of Sicily lies in celebrating its biodiversity and highlighting its singular heritage. And thanks to the work of the Consortium of Sicilia DOC, an association that represents nearly 500 winemakers on the island, Sicily is poised to shine in 2022 and beyond.
Meet the hosts…
Master of Wine: Brendan Jansen
Brendan Jansen MW is a specialist medical practitioner, and the development of his expertise in wine began with his involvement in tasting groups with colleagues. His love affair with wine was cemented when he lived in Italy for two years, during which time he developed an affinity for, and in-depth knowledge of, Italian wines. Brendan's passion is for wine education and appreciation, and this has inspired his MW journey. Tastings led by Brendan are fun and informative and involve a deeper exploration of the varieties and regions covered.
The Master of Wine qualification indicates that the title recipient has completed the toughest series of examinations on viticulture, wine making styles and techniques, all wine regions, and all pluses and minuses in the marketing of these wines on planet. Then added to this is the requirement for an extraordinary ability to discern the bouquet & flavour nuances caused by the factors above which indicate the wine’s variety, age, wine making techniques used, regions, quality, hygiene and seasonal variations.
The title MW is the greatest imprimatur or recognition that the wine world can give to its most able students. After 50 years of Master of Wine graduates there are just 2 in Western Australia and perhaps 24 in Australia.
Kristen McGann
Kristen has a double degree in Viticulture and Oenology and has worked with Vietti in Piedmont.
She has a love affair with Italian wine and from WA for many years worked for/ with the sales and promotional teams of one of Australia's most significant Barolo and Barbaresco importers.
After having a family and developing the Vino Volta brand with her husband, Kristen then founded her own wine distribution business which has now gravitated once more to having a serious piedmont emphasis.
Kristen’s journey in wine has come full circle, blending her deep expertise with a lifelong passion, now curating and championing some of Italy’s hidden gems alongside Italy’s most famous and finest wines for Australian wine lovers.
The Wine List and Menu
On Arrival
2019 Terrazze Del Etna Brut Rosé
Aromas of wild herbs, forest berries and eucalyptus form the inviting nose. The dry, tangy, savory palate shows strawberry compote, blood orange, white pepper and saline alongside crisp acidity.
90 points, Kerin O’Keefe -Wine Enthusiast
1st Bracket
2023 Baglio Oro Catarratto ‘Zafara’ IGT
2019 Terrazze Dell’Etna ‘Ciuri’ Nerello Mascalese Blanc de Noir
unique volcanic terroir of Mount Etna with this elegant white wine from Terrazze dell'Etna. This 2017 Ciuri Bianco showcases the vibrant acidity and minerality of Carricante, with delicate aromas of citrus, white flowers, and a hint of salinity.
Zachys
2021 Pietradolce Etna Bianco
Lots of melon and lemon-rind aromas with some sage and mustard seed, following through to a full body with a creamy texture and lemony finish. I like the floral and lemon-zest highlight that gives the wine energy at the end. Drink now.
92 points, jamessuckling.com
2nd Bracket
2023 Tenuta Delle Terre Nere Etna Bianco
Honeyed florals, candied ginger, hints of fennel and crushed green apples form a spicy and inviting bouquet as the 2023 Etna Bianco opens in the glass. This plays depths of ripe orchard fruit against a core of salty minerals and savory spices as a wave of stimulating acidity completely resets the palate. The 2023 tapers off perfumed and long, leaving a pleasantly sour tinge of citrus that puckers the cheeks.
92 points, Vinous
2020 Tenuta di Fessina Etna Bianco A’Puddara
Racy and mineral driven, this has aromas of hazelnut, Meyer lemon and wet stone. The linear, vibrant palate shows ripe yellow apple, saline and the same hazelnut note as the nose set against crisp acidity.
90 points, Kerin O’Keefe - Wine Enthusiast
2023 Gaja ‘IDDA’ Bianco Sicilia DOP
“The 2023 Bianco demands attention with a beguiling bouquet that mixes crushed rocks, sesame seeds and curry leaves with nectarines and lemon zest. This opens with a pretty inner sweetness contrasted by masses of salty minerals and zesty acidity as ripe orchard fruits cascade throughout. The 2023 tapers off dramatically, long and spicy. A sour citrus tinge forces the mouth to salivate as hints of candied lime and a tart Granny Smith apple concentration slowly fade. In a word, fantastic.”
94 points, Eric Guido – Vinous
3rd Bracket
2021 Feudo Montoni Nero d’Avola
The 2021 Nero d’Avola Lagnusa is coy in the glass, mixing blackberry with cedar and scant citrus. It splashes across the palate with a mineral-tinged blend of wild berries and exotic spice. A zesty core of acidity adds a reverberation of tension. The 2021 leaves a liquid floral concentration and subtle tannins to linger, finishing only lightly structured and with medium length.
Eric Guido - Vinous
2018 Pietradolce Archineri Etna Rosso
Aromas of woodland berry, Mediterranean scrub, camphor and oak-driven spice shape the nose on this fragrant red. On the tight palate, firm acidity accompanies raspberry jam, orange zest, vanilla and licorice. Firm, grainy tannins leave a puckering, drying close. Give the tannins a few years more years to relax a bit then drink.
92 Points kerin O’Keefe, Wine Enthusiast
Sour cherries, crushed raspberries, orange peel and walnut oil. Smoke and ash, too. It’s medium-bodied with sleek yet chewy tannins and bright acidity. Drink or hold.
92 points, jamessuckling.com (March 2021)
2020 Tenuta di Fessina ‘Laeneo’ Nerello Cappuccio
Brilliant dark ruby red with a delicately brightening rim. Radiant notes of wild berries, black tea and leather on the nose, with a rich raspberry aftertaste and fine cold smoke notes. Compact on the palate with clear wild berry fruit embedded in juicy tannins. It's tightly woven, hearty and accessible.
93 Points, Falstaff
4th Bracket
2017 Baglio Oro Nero d’Avola Riserva DOC
Made with 90% Nero d'Avola, 5% Frappato and 5% Shiraz, this has aromas of ripe dark-skinned fruit, ground spice and eucalyptus. The medium-bodied, solid palate offers prune, cassis and pepper alongside firm, rather drying tannins.
88 Points, Kerin O’Keefe, Wine Enthusiast
2017 Feudo Montoni ‘Vrucara’ Nero d’Avola
Tasted from magnum, the Feudo Montoni 2017 Sicilia Nero d'Avola Vrucara is a certified organic expression of Sicily’s vinous protagonist, Nero d'Avola, from a single vineyard planted to ancient pre-phylloxera vines. The fruit is dark and shows medium concentration, pointing to the hot and dry conditions of this growing season. But this native grape thrives in hot weather, allowing for plenty of aromatic expression and depth. Black cherry opens the bouquet, but it follows softly to toasted nut, sweet potting soil and cured tobacco. Ultimately, this is more of a mid-weight wine than it is an all-out, full-bodied expression. This lighter approach gives this red an extra layer of elegance and grace, with some fruity sweetness on the close. This release of 4,600 bottles will comfortably hold past the 10-year mark.
94 Points Monica Larner, The Wine Advocate (November 2021)
2022 Gaja IDDA Etna Rosso DOP
(2022 review not released yet, previous vintage review below)
The 2021 Etna Rosso is spicy with a burst of savory herbs and flowery underbrush, complicating a core of dried black cherries. It flows across the palate like pure silk, polished and refined with mounting saline mineral tones contrasting its ripe wild berry fruits. The 2021 takes on a juicy quality through the finale, leaving gently grippy tannins to mingle with lavender and inner rose. This remarkably pretty Etna Rosso should drink beautifully with only minimal cellaring.
93 points, Vinous