The very famous Master of wine in Australia, Peter Scudamore, during his wine and food tour in Sicily, he has could visit the great Volcano Etna, famous wineries, and the place where we have our vineyard, contrada LA NAVE at 1.100 meters above sea level. I want to say thank you to Peter for his article about Etna wines, and about LA NAVE and our Millesulmare of grecanico dorato that he has described with great competence and passion.
This is an extract of Peter Scudamore’s article:
LA NAVE ON MT ETNA
“The latest addition to my Mount Etna wineosphere is the brilliant white wine from the winery Santa Maria La Nave: grown on the northern slopes of the mountain.
This exciting part of Sicily continues to capture and allure international writers and sommeliers. It has to be the elevation that these local indigeneous varieties enjoy. There is freshness and a joy in the mouth. Don’t miss it!
This Santa Maria La Nave Millesulmare 2014 Sicilia DOC is special in colour: it has luminosity in the glass, masses of quartz-green glints, excellent lustre of a wine with pearl shell gloss; it “winks” at you.
The taste works a treat; and the aromas are not overt, just muted citrus and lemon rind; subtle, no more.
The citrus meet on the palate, and the sensation you find is one of linearity of acidity that goes on for ever. Note the acid succulence, respond to the salivary senses and detect the peak when the lemon essence and lemon grass acid flavours start fading. Should take ten seconds.
These vines have been around for some time but Riccardo is yet to tell me how long.
Now they are being curated and carefully propagated by massal extension, using the old process of burying one unpruned cane of an old vine into the next vine space to start re-growth. Some call the process layering.
So the vineyard must have gaps from vines which have died; now they are being replaced using a very meticulous plan.
These Etna whites have shrill acidity, and slim body, generally irrespective of the variety. They are naturally minerally, merely responding to their terroir.
Peter Scudamore-Smith MW visited Sonia Spadaro Mulone and Riccardo Mulone in Milan to interview for this project; and served this Grecanico Dorato 2014 at the opening evening dinner of Uncorked and Cultivated Sicily Wine and Food Tour 2015 in Taormina..”
For the whole article go to: http://uncorkedandcultivated.com.au/la-nave-on-mt-etna/#!prettyPhoto