Tenuta delle Terre Nere Etna Rosso Feudo di Mezzo 2016
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Wine
Spectator -
James
Suckling -
Wine
Enthusiast -
Robert
Parker
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Pale ruby in color, this wine is elegant and complex on the nose, showing aromas of red fruits (cherry). On the palate, it is harmonic, with soft, silky tannins, good acidity and persistence.
Pair with meat and seasoned cheese.
Blend: 98% Nerello Mascalese, 2% Nerello Cappuccio
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Beautifully fragrant, this exudes notes of lavender and thyme, with Turkish spice hints accenting the flavors of macerated cherry and raspberry fruit that swath the firm frame of dense, fine tannins. Tightly meshed and focused, with additional spice and herb notes on the long, minerally finish. A graceful stallion of a wine. Best from 2020 through 2030.
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James Suckling
Aromas of white pepper, dried fruit and cherries follow through to a full body, fine and very polished tannins, a linear yet rounded edge and a fresh and vivid aftertaste. Drink or hold.
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Wine Enthusiast
Exotic spice, French oak, menthol and Mediterranean scrub aromas all come out on this. Boasting an intriguing combination of structure and weightlessness, the elegant palate evokes Marasca cherry, star anise, tobacco and espresso framed in fine-grained tannins and fresh acidity.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
This wine is slightly savory and balsamic in character. The 2016 Etna Rosso Feudo di Mezzo Il Quadro Delle Rose (98% Nerello Mascalese and 2% Nerello Cappuccio) opens to tangy notes of medicinal herb and eucalyptus essence with dark berry fruit, plum and black currant. Like the many other wines from this vintage, the wine is accessible and immediate, making it a good choice for those who can't wait to pop the cork as well as those who do have the patience to wait (5 years or more). The mouthfeel is thin and compact.
Other Vintages
2021-
James
Suckling
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James
Suckling
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Wine
Enthusiast
Tenuta delle Terre Nere is the fruit of over 30 years of passion and work in the world of fine wine.
And an extraordinary location, as well - this "island within an island" that is the Etna. A place where nature is prodigal but also severe. And here they try with all their heart to express as purely as possible the refined and multifaceted microcosm of this ancient volcanic land. With respect, care and hard farm work, always in organic balance.
The estate's philosophy is simple. Given an extreme climate, in order to obtain the best and most consistent ripening, our attention must focus on vineyard management. The finest workmanship in all aspects of viticulture is the first thing that sets them apart. And what enables them, bringing home exceptionally fine grapes, not to be invasive in their cellar work. A work best described as aimed above all at expressing the character of their varieties in their specific terroir.
A great team, a delicate hand and a heightened sensibility, as well. And their ideals, that drive them to give the best of ourselves in quest, not of perfection, but of the ideal bond between what nature gives us and that which our sensitivity, experience and imagination suggests.
All this sets them apart.
Extending across the variable volcanic soils of the slopes of Mt. Etna at some of the highest vineyard altitudes in all of Europe—up to 3,300 feet—Nerello Mascalese is one of Sicily’s most noble red varieties. It makes a beautifully aromatic, firm, cellar-worthy but pale-hued red often comparable to a fine Burgundy or Barbaresco. Somm Secret—Nerello Mascalese takes its name from the black color of its grapes, nerello, and the Mascali plain between Mt. Etna and the coast where it is believed to have originated.
A large, geographically and climatically diverse island, just off the toe of Italy, Sicily has long been recognized for its fortified Marsala wines. But it is also a wonderful source of diverse, high quality red and white wines. Steadily increasing in popularity over the past few decades, Italy’s fourth largest wine-producing region is finally receiving the accolades it deserves and shining in today's global market.
Though most think of the climate here as simply hot and dry, variations on this sun-drenched island range from cool Mediterranean along the coastlines to more extreme in its inland zones. Of particular note are the various microclimates of Europe's largest volcano, Mount Etna, where vineyards grow on drastically steep hillsides and varying aspects to the Ionian Sea. The more noteworthy red and white Sicilian wines that come from the volcanic soils of Mount Etna include Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio (reds) and Carricante (whites). All share a racy streak of minerality and, at their best, bear resemblance to their respective red and white Burgundies.
Nero d’Avola is the most widely planted red variety, and is great either as single varietal bottling or in blends with other indigenous varieties or even with international ones. For example, Nero d'Avola is blended with the lighter and floral, Frappato grape, to create the elegant, Cerasuolo di Vittoria, one of the more traditional and respected Sicilian wines of the island.
Grillo and Inzolia, the grapes of Marsala, are also used to produce aromatic, crisp dry Sicilian white. Pantelleria, a subtropical island belonging to the province of Sicily, specializes in Moscato di Pantelleria, made from the variety locally known as Zibibbo.