Cosentino 2019

Le Cosentino provient d’une parcelle de 1,35 hectare située en contrada Feudo di Mezzo, sur le versant nord de l’Etna, à Castiglione di Sicilia. Cette vigne centenaire, plantée en terrasses et conduite en alberello, s’enracine dans des sols volcaniques de lave. Elle donne naissance à un Etna Rosso DOC singulier, marqué par l’altitude, les amplitudes thermiques et la fraîcheur des brises venues des Nebrodi.

Le Nerello Mascalese est récolté durant la seconde décade d’octobre. Les raisins sont partiellement égrappés, puis fermentent avec des levures indigènes. Le vin est ensuite élevé pendant 15 mois en fûts de chêne avant un passage en cuves d’acier, afin d’affiner sa texture tout en préservant la précision du fruit et l’expression minérale du terroir volcanique.

Ce vin dévoile des notes de cerise mûre, de mûre sauvage, de framboise, de fraise des bois, de canneberge, de poivre noir, de réglisse douce, d’herbes méditerranéennes, de thé noir, de cacao, de fumée de poudre et de pierre volcanique. La bouche est fraîche, dense et savoureuse, portée par une acidité vibrante et des tanins fins, fermes mais intégrés. La finale s’étire longuement sur les fruits rouges, la salinité et une minéralité fumée.

Ah, Italy, what a beautiful hedonistic country, home of the Dolce Vita, but how hard it is to understand how its wine is organised! The key to understanding Italy's appellation system is to think of it as several small countries rather than a single uniform one, since each region has its own appellation system. Yet Italy can offer wine lovers a multitude of wines with varied and unique flavours and styles, as well as bottles full of surprise and creativity. Unfortunately it also produces a large quantity of soulless, characterless wines sold under their most useful and commercially renowned names: Pinot Grigio, Chianti, Valpolicella, Lambrusco, Prosecco and many others... But let us talk a little history: winegrowing in Italy goes back to the most distant antiquity and originated in Greece. The Etruscans are said to have introduced the vine, and Greek immigrants improved and changed the grape varieties, later calling the country "Oenotria": the land of wine. At the height of the Roman Empire, wine held an important place in daily life, and some regions already stood out for the excellence of their produce. The Romans also planted many vineyards across Europe, leaving an indelible mark of their conquests. Today Italy is the largest wine producer in the world, ahead of France. Italy is divided into three climatic zones. The northern mountains have a fairly harsh mountain climate. The plain in the "middle of the boot" has a continental climate with cold winters and hot, stormy summers. The "south of the boot" enjoys a Mediterranean climate with very hot, very dry summers, not forgetting the islands of Sicily and Sardinia. In short, Italy produces a great variety of wines thanks to its 200 different grape varieties, many of them native to its land. It is a country just as complex as its wines, and well worth exploring!