Girolamo Russo - 'A Rina - Etna Rosso DOC

Buried in the volcanic sandy soils of Passopisciaro lies a history that goes deeper than the roots of the centuries-old Nerello vines. À Rina, "Sand" in the Sicilian dialect, not only bears the name of this unique land, but also the longing of a son who wanted to create a monument to his father. When Giuseppe Russo founded the winery in 2005 and dedicated it to Girolamo, he did so with the painful knowledge: "My father was not lucky enough to experience this transformation and see his name on a wine." What followed was no ordinary wine story, but the metamorphosis of a pianist into the poet of the volcano. Giuseppe, who once studied Liters, returned to the vineyards of his childhood, not out of a sense of duty, but out of a deep realisation: these ancient Alberello vines between 650 and 780 metres above sea level carry the memory of his family. Here, where black lava slag and sand compose a symphony of minerality, he understood his true calling. À Rina is Giuseppe Russo's masterpiece of harmony, a composition of three noble contrade: San Lorenzo with its windswept heights, the intimate Feudo and the powerful Calderara Sottana. Ninety per cent Nerello Mascalese is combined with ten per cent Nerello Cappuccio to create a wine that is far more than the sum of its parts. Giuseppe does not call it an entry-level wine, but rather a "melody of three terroirs that harmonise with each other". In the glass, ruby red elegance with a garnet sheen, while the bouquet tells a sensual journey through Etna's soul: Wild strawberries and cherries with notes of wild sage, damp concrete and a hint of mandarin. All the magic of volcanic minerality unfolds on the palate, fresh and complex, with silky tannins and that salty depth that only centuries-old lava soil can give. Giuseppe's father would be proud of his son.