The wines from Etna have been gaining serious
plaudits in recent years, as people liken these reds
grown on black volcanic soils to Pinot Noir from
Burgundy’s revered Côte d’Or. And Ciarìa, made by
Pietro Caciorgna, a producer now making wine in
Sicily alongside his Tuscan estate, is a wine that fits
the bill.
Making wine this far south in Europe means that
something special is needed to keep the acidity to
balance the depth of flavour. Fortunately here the vines
are planted at a height of 750 metres, higher than
Yorkshire’s three peaks. And they face northwards,
meaning they receive plenty of sunlight but without the
punishing heat so typical of this latitude.
The volcanic soils meant that the Phylloxera louse that
decimated Europe’s vineyards in the late 19th and early
20th centuries never made it up here: these are 70 to
100 year old vines planted on their own rootstocks,
making it a practically unique proposition in Europe.
And that helps give the wine complexity and intensity
of flavour. But it reduces the yields, meaning that just
4,000 bottles of this fantastic wine are produced
by Pietro.