TASCA + ETNA = TASCANTE – The Case For Wine

It was surely inevitable that Sicily’s first fine-wine producer would establish themselves on the Volcano. Sicily’s star is ascendant in the wine community, and it seems that when anyone looks at Sicily these days, their eyes are immediately drawn to the island’s most prominent topographic feature, the great volcano Mount Etna. Etna wines are almost as hot as the lava inside the peak.

Tenuta Tascante “Buonora” 2019 Etna. $29.95 per bottle – 15 x 6 packs.
Buonora is Tenuta Tascante’s white wine from Mount Etna’s indigenous Carricante grape variety. Historically prized for its high acidity and abundant productivity, Carricante is a multi-faceted grape that ripens late and gains complexity with ageing. Grapes for the Tenuta Tascanate Buonora are sourced from cool-climate vineyards on the north and east faces of the volcano’s slopes.
91 Points Wine Enthusiast
“Racy and mineral driven, this opens with delicate but enticing scents of white spring blossom, orchard fruit and citrus. The chiseled, tangy palate features ripe pear, green melon and Meyer lemon, while crisp acidity and mineral notes give great energy.”
Kerin O’Keefe

Tenuta Tascante “Ghiaia Nera” 2017 – Etna Rosso. $29.95 per bottle – 15 x 6 packs
Ghiaia Nera is Tenuta Tascante’s demonstration of the possibilities for Nerello Mascalese from Mt Etna. It shows similar qualities to the old-vine Il Tascante, but with softer tannins and a distinctive freshness. This is enhanced by a lighter touch with oak aging. The name means “black gravel,” which describes the volcanic soil of the vineyard.
Wine Enthusiast Editors Choice 92 Points:
“Aromas of wild red berry, rose petal, wet stone, Mediterranean brush and star anise shape the nose on this compelling, vibrant wine. Made with Nerello Mascalese planted in 1961, the wine has a linear, racy palate that’s almost ethereal and loaded with
finesse and energy, delivering sour cherry, pomegranate, licorice and orange zest before a flinty mineral close. Taut, refined tannins and vibrant acidity lend lithe support.” Drink 2024 -2036.

Best Red Wines for 2021 – 92 Points Vine pair
“This is a Sicilian double whammy! I am telling you, wine lovers: Wines from Italian island regions are some of the best everyday and communal wines. They are bright and focused, with unique aromas.
Say it with me, because you’re about to fall in love: Nerello Mascalese (neh-rello mah-ska-lay-zay). This amazing grape grows on slopes and surrounding hills of an active volcano in eastern Sicily. It is its own unique kind of wonderful, but if you like Pinot Noir or Sangiovese, this wine is your dinner table’s new bestie. It bursts with juicy fruit that smells like cherries and has a slight tannic edge. The balance in this wine is awesome and would even benefit from a quick chill.”
Keith Beavers – Vine pair

92 Points Vinous
“Deep red. Very flinty and pure aromas of red cherry, redcurrants and herbs. Then mineral with juicy acidity and plenty of youthful vibrancy to the floral flavors. A lovely Etna Rosso that finishes long and graceful. Unless memory fails me, this is the best ever Etna Rosso by Tasca d’Almerita at a similar stage of development. Well done.”
Vinous Ian D’Agata.