Monteleone Awards

92 - ETNA ROSSO DOC 2017

The Monteleone 2017 Etna Rosso is a strongly territory-driven wine with bright berry aromas that are balanced by volcanic notes and grilled herb. This is a beautiful wine with a graceful and delicate personality that you don't always find in the wines made in this stark, dark and violent volcanic landscape. A blend of 90% Nerello Mascalese and 10% Nerello Cappuccio, this wine is mid-weight in style with a pretty garnet or ruby color. This is a great tasting from an estate that is new to me. Only 4,350 bottles were made.

92 - QUBBA ETNA ROSSO DOC 2017

These wines from Giulia Monteleone show beautifully in the glass with a dark but brilliant ruby color. The 2017 Etna Rosso Cuba takes a little longer to unfold or stretch its legs, but ultimately, it shows an impressive depth and range of pure Etna-driven aromas. The bouquet releases wild berries, campfire ash, licorice and sweet cherry on the close. This is a lovely, mid-weight wine to serve with game hen or even your favorite chicken dish. The blend is 90% Nerello Mascalese and 10% Nerello Cappuccio, just like Monteleone's entry-level Etna Rosso. I actually preferred the linearity of that wine, by a tiny margin, to this more expensive expression. A mere 1,250 bottles were made.

SICILIA

Qubba Etna Rosso 2018 – Monteleone