Terre Nere Calderara Sottana Bellacolonna (750ml)

Made from Nerello Mascalese grown in the Calderara Sottana, though this is not the same wine as the Calderara Sottana bottling which comes from the exclusively from the fruit of the ungrafted pre-phylloxera vines on the estate. 

This is a cuvée from one exceptionally gifted vineyard in Calderara, called Bellacolonna; it was here that, after sadly uprooting parcels of half abandoned and decrepit old vines, Terre Nere planted some of the first vineyards.  This is an exceptionally fine vineyard and this vintage was also outstanding.   The Nerello Mascalese grapes grow on black pumice, solid volcanic rock; the stoniest Contrada on
the north slope of the Etna Appellation at an elevation of 600-650 meters a.s.l.  The average age of the vines are between 50 and 100 years old.  Harvested the first two weeks in October and fermented at a controlled temperature of 28-30° C.  The wine undergoes spontaneous malolactic fermentation and aging in French oak barriques and tonneaux and bottled after 14 months of wood aging and 1 month in steel.  

It has benefited from 10% aging in new oak.