SANTO SPIRITO

Santo Spirito is my first official single vineyard wine. It derives from the vineyard and province of Santo Spirito – a vineyard made up of terrasses held up by ancient dry-built stone walls. The vines are trained by the Alberello system, and grow at 600 – 800 m. (1.200 – 2.400 feet) above sea level.

The wine to me is a prime example of the essence of Etna at its best: the boost of the mineral lava notes, the mix of mature red fruit, flowers and a touch of spice – a complex and evolving set of flavours that go together to form a very elegant, very balanced wine. Santo Spirito is finesse.

 

Technical specifications

  • Appellation

    ETNA ROSSO DOC
    Comune di Castiglione di Sicilia e Randazzo (CT)
    Parcel N° 191 of Map N° 36

  • Altitude

    750 m. (2250 feet) above sea level

  • Terroir

    black soil, deep porous volcanic ash soil with traces of sand, very rich in minerals

  • Exposure

    North - North-East

  • Plant density

    8000 vines per hectare

  • Training system

    Alberello

  • Grape variety

    Nerello Mascalese (selection Massale)

  • Harvest

    Middle of October

  • Yield per hectare

    6000 kilo

  • Vinification

    The alcoholic fermentation and malolactic fermentation
    were both carried out in stainless steel tanks

  • Ageing

    13 months in new barrels (300 liters)
    of fine grained French oak, medium toast

 

Food pairing

A wonderful wine for poultry dishes be it poussin, partridge, pheasant or pigeon. Delicate also with a steak tartar, carpaccio and perhaps even a flavourful red tuna tartar at the wine’s early stages of life. Veal and pork dishes without too heavy sauces are good choices as well