VINEYARD | "We were waiting for the right year to launch this cru for the first time, we vinify only a small part of a vineyard of less than two hectares, the plants are between 85 and 90 years old at an altitude of 650 metres. When we bought this plot, the vines were entirely covered by vegetation, at the beginning we thought they would not start producing again, but here we are to tell you about it," Michele Faro tells us. We are on the northern slope of Mt Etna, in the municipality of Castiglione di Sicilia, among alberello vines of nerello mascalese and nerello cappuccio that sink into the black sand of Etna, rich in skeleton and mineral elements. The grapes are vinified in cement tanks and they mature for about 14 months in French oak tonneaux.
PERSON | The elegant winery of brothers Mario and Michele Faro, created in 2005, counts on approximately thirty hectares spread over some of the best contrade wine districts of Etna: Rampante, Santo Spirito, Feudo di Mezzo and Zottorinotto, on the north side; while the one with pied franc vines in Caselle is the only one, in the south, from which the Sant'Andrea white cru is born (another rare wine that we invite you to discover). Only the fruits of the older vines (in this case they are also centenarian and pre-phylloxera plantings) are bottled individually, while those from younger plants are used, such as Zottorinotto, for rosé or entry level wines. These are mostly small plots, made up of old alberello trained vines (in some cases pied franc), ranging from half a century to over 100 years of age, for wines of unique charm.
WINE | It already shines a few months after bottling. The scents are dark, of graphite, licorice and roots, alongside inviting and typical tones of wild blackberries. The mouth is both pulpy and infiltrating, rich and dynamic, the fruit is perfectly ripe, the tannin is creamy and progressive. It perfectly combines two spirits, one fresher and more vibrant with vivid pomegranate tones, and the other more fleshy and spicy, for an elegant and flowing sip with great character. It has a refined gait, with a dark, savoury finish, with perfect length and overall balance. Stylistically it is exactly halfway between the ethereal nature of the contrada Santo Spirito district and the depth of the contrada Rampante district.
