The Perfect Summer Sip: Etna Rosso Calcagno 2016 – A Red Wine Meant to be Served Chilled
Etna Rosso Calcagno 2016 is an excellent summer red wine to drink cold, a splendid blend of Nerello Mascalese and Cappuccio that comes from the slopes of Etna. It is an agile, light, and graceful wine that focuses on juice and a singsong drink, so don’t expect a bomb of fruit and jam or a tannic boulder. No, it’s just a simple and enjoyable wine with a light pace.
How it is produced
The vines are rooted in soils of lava origin, of course. As you well know, the Calcagno family has been cultivating vineyards on the northern slopes of Etna for three generations. The grapes come from a cru in Passopisciaro, at an altitude of 630 meters, that experiences significant temperature variations. All ideal conditions to stimulate acidity, aromas, and finesse in the grapes. No jams cooked at low temperature. Spontaneous fermentation and aging in steel That’s all.
Organoleptic characteristics
Light ruby color, transparent. Smoked bouquet with meat, rock, a trickle of hydrocarbons, and then this splendid and fleshy berry. Very light balsamic touch, just whispered. Herbaceous traces to close Beautiful, simple, and direct.
On the palate, it is juice that flows smoothly and with great elegance. The structure is medium, and the tannins are very soft, even if the phrasing between salt and acidity is tight and gives persistence and depth to the wine. Delicate in gait, clear fruit, endless pulp, and great expressiveness; a smokey note to close, but there is a trace of burning.
Price
14–16 euros: an excellent price to pay for a wide-ranging summer red wine, but with a character that is never banal.
Pairings
Chicken curry, spare ribs with barbecue sauce, pulled pork, burgers, roast beef.
