Girolamo Russo Etna Rosso Calderara Sottana 2022

Girolamo Russo Etna Rosso Calderara Sottana 2022 is a poised and finely etched red from one of Mount Etna’s most iconic crus. Crafted predominantly from old-vine Nerello Mascalese with a touch of Nerello Cappuccio, it captures the wild, volcanic character of Sicily’s famous mountain in a beautifully refined style. This single-vineyard bottling has helped cement Etna’s reputation as one of Italy’s most exciting terroirs, often compared to top Burgundy and Barolo for its finesse and aging potential.

Tasting Notes
In the glass, the 2022 Calderara Sottana shows a luminous, transparent ruby with garnet highlights – classic for Nerello Mascalese grown at altitude. The nose is immediately expressive and layered, offering wild red cherries, pomegranate, blood orange and raspberry, interwoven with crushed volcanic stone, dried herbs, rose petals and hints of tobacco and sweet spice. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied yet intensely flavoured, with a taut, mineral backbone. Silky but persistent tannins frame delicate red fruit, sour cherry, cranberry and orange zest, supported by savoury notes of tea leaf, dried flowers, anise and a faint smoky edge from the volcanic soils rather than heavy oak. The acidity is bright and mouthwatering, giving the wine energy and precision. While approachable in its youth after some air, this Etna Rosso is built to evolve gracefully over 8–12 years, gaining complexity and tertiary nuances of leather, underbrush and truffle with time in bottle.

Production
Calderara Sottana is one of Etna’s most celebrated contrade, located on the northern slopes of the volcano at high altitude, where old bush-trained vines sink their roots deep into stony, black, lava-rich soils. The combination of intense sunlight, wide day–night temperature swings and well-drained volcanic rubble yields naturally low yields and grapes of striking aromatic purity. Girolamo Russo farms these parcels organically, with a strong emphasis on manual work in the vineyard, including hand-harvesting to ensure ideal ripeness and careful bunch selection. In the cellar, fermentation typically takes place with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel or neutral vessels, often with a proportion of whole clusters to enhance fragrance and structure. The wine is then aged in large, mostly neutral oak casks (and sometimes a mix of older barrels) to preserve the transparent expression of terroir, before being bottled with minimal intervention, allowing the character of Etna and the vintage to shine through.

Food & Serving
This elegant yet firmly structured Etna Rosso is exceptionally versatile at the table, pairing beautifully with dishes that echo its savory, aromatic profile. Think grilled or roast lamb, herb-crusted pork, duck, mushroom risotto, porcini pasta, roasted root vegetables, game birds, and aged pecorino or ragusano cheese. Sicilian-inspired dishes featuring tomatoes, olives and capers also work very well, as the wine’s acidity and minerality cut through richness and complement Mediterranean flavors. Serve at 16–18°C (60–64°F); a slight chill emphasizes freshness and lift. Decant for 45–60 minutes in its youth to allow the aromatics and texture to open, especially for the first few years after release.

Producer
Girolamo Russo is a benchmark producer on Mount Etna’s northern slopes, founded by Giuseppe Russo in 2004 to honor his father Girolamo and revive the family’s long viticultural history in the area. Working primarily with old, bush-trained Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio from historic contrade such as San Lorenzo, Feudo and Calderara Sottana, the estate has become a reference point for terroir-driven Etna Rosso. Organic farming, low yields and sensitive, low-intervention winemaking are at the core of Russo’s philosophy, aiming to capture the singular mix of altitude, volcanic soils and ancient vines that define the region. Over the past two decades, Girolamo Russo’s wines have drawn critical acclaim and helped propel Etna into the global spotlight as one of Italy’s most compelling and dynamic wine regions.

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