2021 Graci Etna Rosso Feudo di Mezzo

The 2021 Graci Etna Rosso Feudo di Mezzo is a single-vineyard expression of Nerello Mascalese from one of Mount Etna's most compelling sites, the Feudo di Mezzo contrada on the volcano's northern slopes. Ancient vines, many pre-phylloxera, push their roots deep into mineral-rich basalt and ash soils at altitude, delivering a wine with the characteristic transparency and nervous energy that defines great Etna Rosso. Alberto Graci has established himself as one of Sicily's most thoughtful producers, and this bottling from Feudo di Mezzo showcases why collectors and sommeliers in Chicago and beyond seek out his work vintage after vintage. Graci farms his parcels biodynamically across Etna's northern slopes, an approach that prioritizes soil health and vine balance in a landscape shaped by centuries of volcanic activity. The Feudo di Mezzo contrada sits at altitude where diurnal temperature swings preserve acidity and aromatic lift, and the old-vine Nerello Mascalese here develops slowly, achieving phenolic ripeness without sacrificing the grape's natural transparency. The basalt and ash soils impart a distinctive mineral signature, and Graci's cellar work is deliberately hands-off — native fermentation, minimal sulfur, extended aging in large neutral oak — allowing the site to speak with clarity. The result is a wine that carries the unmistakable stamp of the mountain, a savouriness and stony undertone that is uniquely Etnean and nearly impossible to replicate elsewhere in Italy. The 2021 vintage presents a translucent ruby colour, pale at the rim, betraying Nerello Mascalese's Pinot Noir-like delicacy. The nose is hauntingly perfumed with wild red cherry, blood orange, and pomegranate lifting above a smoky volcanic minerality, joined by dried herbs, iron, and dried rose petal. On the palate, the wine is taut and precise, with silky but firm tannins and vibrant acidity that carries red fruit — cranberry, sour cherry — alongside earthy, stony undertones and a long, saline finish. Despite its elegance, there is real substance and structure here, suggesting this will reward cellaring for another five to ten years. Pair it with grilled lamb chops, mushroom risotto, or aged pecorino; the wine's acidity and mineral backbone make it versatile at the table, and it shines alongside anything that can stand up to its volcanic intensity. Available for pickup at our Lincoln Park bottle shop at 1128 W Armitage Ave, local Chicago delivery, or nationwide shipping.