Etna Rosso, San Lorenzo, 2019
You can feel a little more elevation here compared to the sunnier Calderara; this is more lifted but less opulent and generous from the off. A tight-knit wine that develops into something floral, velvety and sumptuous. Black cherry fruit, a touch of blossom, spice and vanilla pod; alluring and smooth yet so focused and taut. So complete. Sheer beauty. San Lorenzo is a great vineyard of 70 years old planted at 750 altitude on quite deep volcanic ash interspersed, sporadically, with stones. The terroir is based on very old “Ellitico” soils , dating back to between 15,000 and 60,000 years ago, these are rare and only two crus on Etna are purely composed of it- San Lorenzo and Calderara. San Lorenzo produces tactile, sophisticated, suave wines; Ageing is 18 months in used oak barriques and tonneaux.
critic reviews
Undeniably elegant and remarkably pretty, the 2019 Etna Rosso San Lorenzo is the understated beauty of the Terre Nere portfolio. An inviting bouquet of dried roses and smoke gives way to crushed cherries, plums and hints of clove. This washes across the palate with the silkiest of textures, ushering in ripe red and hints of blue fruit under an air of violet flowers, lavender and spice. It tapers off persistently, only lightly structured, and with a balanced inner sweetness that combines to create a total sense of harmony. Frankly, it’s hard to put this glass down. This is only the fifth vintage of San Lorenzo from Terre Nere’s parcels in Randazzo, and it is easily the best one yet. The San Lorenzo comes from a rare terroir that exists on a veritable island of deep, ancient Ellittico soils that were spared from the more recent volcanic activity (as in the last few thousand years) on Etna. The 2019 is not to be missed!