Translation missing: en.Producer Profile: Tenuta delle Terre Nere + Just In: Piemonte Arrivals: Producer Profile: Tenuta delle Terre Nere + Just In: Piemonte Arrivals
PRODUCER PROFILE: TENUTA DELLE TERRE NERE
Tenuta delle Terre Nere are one of the greatest and most important producers working in Etna, producing distinctive wines from indigenous grapes on a range of terroirs. Being located in an extreme climate (the name literally translates to property of the black lands), extreme attention to detail in the vineyard is what sets them apart from their competitors. Strenuous organic viticulture affords them the ability to be hands-off in the cellar and express the distinctive volcanic terroir that makes Etna so special.
The estate is located on the northern slopes of Etna, within the hilly belt that extends between Solicchiata and Randazzo - the area historically known to be the best for red wine production. The climate of Etna - Europe's largest active volcano, is significantly different to the general climate of Sicily. The high altitudes dedicated to viticulture on Etna's slopes start at 400m above sea level and span up to over 1000m above sea level creating a large diurnal range, preserving natural acidity in the grapes and extending the growing season to what is one of the latest harvests in Europe. There is a patchwork of volcanic soils that have been formed and reformed by millions of years of lava flows. All of these factors create a range of unique micro-terroirs that this Tenuta aims to capture in their wines, particularly the Contrada offerings which winemaker Marco de Grazia refers to as "Burgundy of the Mediterranean". Marco draws analogies between Etna and Burgundy, not necessarily in taste (although there are similarities), but due to the fact that they both have extreme climates with differences in site that manifest themselves in the wine so well. Consequently, Tenuta delle Terre Nere are on the board of directors of the Consorzio di Tutela Etna D.O.C. to formalise the sub-areas of Etna so that they can write the crus on the labels and that the customer will come to understand the difference between 'San Lorenzo' and 'Calderara Sottana' the same way that they would 'Romanée-Conti' and 'Montrachet'.
The 2024 release of the Contrade has just arrived, with only a few bottles of each to go around. We have the classics of course - '25 'Etna Bianco', '25 'Etna Rosato' and '24 'Etna Rosso'. There are 4 so-called Premier Crus: '24 'Santo Spirito', '24 'Moganazzi', '24 'Feudo di Mezzo' and the '24 'Guardiola'. Finally, the "Grand Crus" of the estate - '24 'Calderara Sottana' and the '24 'San Lorenzo'. These are the wines that sell out quickly and have helped build the reputation of the estate and region. Pickup some of the most compelling wines produced around Mount Etna now!
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DISCOVERY POUR: SOALHEIRO ALLO VINHO VERDE
This Vinho Verde was a wonderful discovery for us being the first time it has entered the country from Portugal. Soalheiro means "sunny place" in Portuguese which accurately reflects where they chose to plant their vines dedicated entirely to Alvarinho. Fresh, saline and packed with fine fruit - you get a whole lot of wine for the money and makes for a perfect Spring/Summer drop. If you love the Albariño of Rias Baixas, Muscadet or Chablis, then this is your next obsession. Discover the beauty of this tantalising Portuguese white!
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JUST IN
Piemonte
We've just had some extremely exciting arrivals from Giorgio de Maria arrive from Piemonte to share with you.
Most of these are very small-scale productions with only a few bottles of each to go around. The Antoniotti comes from a little known region of Bramaterra, west of Gattinara and Ghemme and about 100km north of Barolo - made predominantly from Nebbiolo with the addition of up to 30% Vespolino, Uva Rara or Croatina. Giovanni Canonica and Olek Bondonio are minimalist micro producers based in Barolo and Barbaresco, respectively. Nadia Curto is a new discovery for us using organic grapes from the iconic 2019 vintage - a bargain Barolo. Serafino Rivella is a titan of Barbaresco making one of the most respected wines of the region and Cappellano is of course an Icon in Barolo. There's not much to go around so snag your bottles before they go!
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TASTING: PRAETER
Saturday 17th
3pm - 6pm
Annandale Cellars
Praeter was started by Matt Large in 2018, initially born from a desire to explore and understand Nebbiolo in Australia’s soil and climate. Whilst working with Nebbiolo across both hemispheres, Matt was all the while continuing his career here in Australia working with some of the premier Chardonnay and Pinot Noir producers in the country, most recently Shaw and Smith and Tolpuddle Vineyard.
In 2024, Matt decided to leave his role as Senior Winemaker at Shaw and Smith to return to farming grapes and focussing on Praeter full-time which is now on a trajectory of working to farm better and better fruit, and celebrate unique and high quality sites across the regions that they work in.
These are the wines we'll be tasting on the day: Spring White, Magpie Block Chardonnay, Sous Voile Savagnin, Langhe Nebbiolo, Truscott Block Pinot Noir and Vino Rosso.