Passopisciaro Contrada "S" Sciaranuova Terre Siciliane IGP 2024

Contrada S 2024 is 100% Nerello Mascalese from Contrada Sciaranuova on the northern side of Etna. The vineyard is situated at an altitude of 850 meters and is planted with vines that are approximately 80 years old.

Sciaranuova means "new lava flow" in Sicilian and refers to the vineyard's geologically very young soil, which was formed by lava just about 400 years ago. The soil consists primarily of loose lava gravel, and this particular subsoil contributes to Sciaranuova's very distinct character.

Year after year, Contrada S is among the most elegant and balanced of Passopisciaro's contrada wines. The aroma is characterized by fresh cherries and dark berries with floral tones and the distinctive volcanic character of smoke, ash, and crushed stone. The taste is lively and elegant with juicy fruit, vibrant acidity, and fine, chalky tannins. A wine with both intensity and structure, but above all finesse, freshness, and a pronounced mineral nerve.

Here, there is less focus on raw power and more on finesse, precision, and the special mineral nerve that characterizes Nerello Mascalese from Etna's high-altitude vineyards.

2024 offered a warm and dry summer, but the high-altitude vineyards performed particularly well. The grapes ripened slowly at altitude, and the harvest of the red grapes began on October 3rd. The result is a vintage with a beautiful balance between fruit, acidity, tannin, and alcohol.

A wine that elegantly demonstrates how differently Nerello Mascalese can express itself depending on Etna's altitude, lava, and contrada.