OUR WINE
ETNA ROSSO SENECIO 2020
Varietal: 95% Nerello Mascalese, and some Nerello Cappuccio and Minnella bianca
Production area: from a single vineyard in the municipality of Castiglione di Sicilia (CT) in Contrada Piccio-lo, Rovittello
Exposure: north side of Etna, at on average 670 meters above sea level. Vineyard pasted between the lava flows of 1911 and 1923
Vineyard: terraced historical with dry lava stone walls, built around 1860 when the vine yard was first planted, north-facing
Age of the vines: plants with an age of 80 to 120 years and more
Soil: volcanic, deep, predominantly sandy (90%), silt (0.45%) and clay (0.65%) with the pres ence of sub-acid reaction pumice stone (pH 6.6). Good presence of organic substance
Type of cultivation: goblet bush-training whereby each vine is supported by an Etna chestnut pole
Plantation density: 6.000 vines per hectare
Viticulture: organic, limited to traditional working methods
Cultivation method: traditional with manual cultivation operations and entirely certified organic without the use of plastic material
Harvest: manual, half October
Vinification: manual selection of the bunches, destemming and light pressing. Maceration with the peels in a steel tank at controlled temperatures between 23 and 26 degrees centigrade to better extract color and aromatic substances. Spontaneous malolactic fermentation.
Ageing: 8 months in stainless steel, then 60% during 9 months in 3rd-passage French oak barriques, then in bottle for at least 12 18 months
Production: 1.300 bottles
Oenologist: Giandomenico Negro
Alcohol content: 14% vol.
Serving temperature: suggested 16-18° C.
Tasting:
Colour: medium intensity ruby red color, typical for the Nerello Mascalese
Scent: intense and varied with a floral bouquet characterized by red fruits and spicy notes of pepper
Taste: on the palate it is fresh, mineral with balanced tannins
Datasheet.pdf - Casale 120 winery Etna Rosso Senecio 2020
ETNA ROSSO CONTRADA PICCIOLO 2020
Production Area: Rovittello, Etna | Northern exposure
Grapes: Nerello Mascalese 90% - Nerello Capuccio 10%
Production: 1,300 bottles
Soil: black, brownish volcanic sand; volcanic rocks
Training system: bush-training with chestnut poles
Age vineyard: dates from mid 19th century with century old vines
Average height vineyard: 670 meters above sea level
Soil: volcanic sand and rocks, fertile soil, rich in alkaline and ferrous elements
Plantation density: 8000 vine/Ha.
Yield per Ha.: 5.000 kg
Harvest: manual, half October
Vinification: fermentation in stainless steel tanks with selected indigenous yeast. Malolatic fermentation fully run.
Ageing: drink from December 2021
Alcohol content: 13.7% vol.
Tasting: medium intensity ruby red color, intense and clean on the nose with a fruity bouquet that enhances the red fruit notes, with gentle spicy aromas where black pepper and white pepper stand out. On the palate is fresh, light with well extracted tannins and a long and mineral finish. The territory is faithfully expressed.
Serving temperature: 16-18° C.
Datasheet.pdf - Casale 120 winery Etna Rosso Contrada Picciolo 2020
Vintage 2020
Contrada Picciolo has ancient vines between 80-110 years old and on a terroir with ancient lavaflows at an altitude of 650-700 meter above sea level.
The summer of the year 2020 was dry and hot with constant temperatures and little sirocco (hot wind from North Africa). 15 October the harvest was completed.
Thanks to normal climatic conditions, the 2020 vintage is very good. The wines stand out for their great finesse and its minerality, they have a balanced aroma and a high alcohol content. As expected, the yield was low.
The wine ages well in bottle and is recommended to drink from December 2021.
Alberello
The training system of our vineyard is the goblet or bush vine system, ‘alberello’ in Italian. This cultivation method was used principally in the Mediterranean (Italy, France, Spain, Portugal) wine regions with less rain and harsh sunlight.
Nowadays the alberello is replaced by training on vertical trellis with higher yield and allowing mechanical labor. With the alberello system all the work is manual and the quantity of harvest very low, but the grapes make an excellent base for a high quality wine.
We have chosen to maintain the traditional training system as it allows plants to keep the right balance with the environment, not needing to irrigate nor the need to use chemical pesticides. The roots can grow in big distances in search of water, making the vines more resistant to summer droughts.
The alberello system allows for good air circulation through the canopy helping in the prevention of diseases. The sprouts of each plant whilst growing, are tied to a pole (made of local chestnut from Mt. Etna) to support the branches and to improve the airing of the leaves.
These vine poles have been used since ancient times. The old name of southern Italy, Enotria, comes from the Greek word enotros meaning vine pole
Nerello Mascalese
With at least 80%, the historical indigenous grape to Mt. Etna, Nerello Mascalese is the main variety in the Etna DOC red wine. It is a dark-skinned grape variety that grows most commonly on the volcanic slopes of Mount Etna in Sicily, at elevations up to 1000m above sea level. The variety takes its name from the Mascali plain between Mount Etna and the coast where it is thought to have originated.
The Nerello produces an elegant wine with a complex note of aromatic herbs, spice of cinnamon and red ripe berry. The palate is elegant, with a good balance among acids, sugar and tannins and a typical mineral character.
