2023 Tenuta delle Terre Nere Rosso Santo Spirito
2023 Tenuta delle Terre Nere Rosso Santo Spirito

2023 Tenuta delle Terre Nere Rosso Santo Spirito

95 pts
Tenuta delle Terre |Sicily |Nerello Mascalese
A beautifully expressive Etna Rosso from Santo Spirito – open, perfumed and generous, showing the softer side of Tenuta delle Terre Nere’s mountain reds.
Price:
$119.00
Stock:
Sold out
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Description

Santo Spirito sits just down the slope from Guardiola, and it’s always been the most generous of the Terre Nere crus. The soils here are deep and ashy, the old vines protected from the wild Etna winds, and the wines tend to show a bit more warmth and perfume than their neighbours.

The 2023 season gave a long, even ripening window – ideal for Marco de Grazia’s gentle, vineyard-first approach. Everything is hand-picked, fermented with native yeasts, and aged in neutral oak, so the fruit and site can speak for themselves.

This release is plush and aromatic without losing its edge. Ripe red fruits, spice and a bit of smoky earth come through, framed by soft, fine tannins that give it an easy flow. It’s bright and pure, with that Etna lift and detail that keeps you coming back. Santo Spirito might be the most immediately charming of the Terre Nere wines, but there’s quiet structure underneath too.

"Terre Nere’s wines all possessed unbelievable freshness and complexity as well as huge perfumes that suggested Pinot Noir…These wines are astonishingly complex and ethereal efforts from the hillsides of Mt. Etna in Sicily."
- Robert Parker

Eric Guido

Vinous 93 Points

The 2023 Etna Rosso Santo Spirito is moody in the glass. Dusty rose aromas combine with notes of pine and wild berries, all complicated by a hint of cocoa. Soothingly round and pliant, it splashes across the palate with an array of ripe red and blue fruits guided by vibrant acidity. A saturation of fine tannins emerges through the finish as this tapers off with amazing length and potency, leaving an air of lavender pastille to linger on. The 2023 is a gorgeous interpretation of Santo Spirito.

These vineyards (TdTN own 2) sit adjacent to Guardiola’s northern limit but is lower in altitude at 750asl, sitting above Feudo di Mezzo. This is one of the larger Contrada in the region of Castiglione di Sicilia. Tenuta delle Terre Nere own 5.5ha and Marco see these vineyards as being the most scenic. Relatively speaking, the soils are rich in nutrients, and the vineyard is large and serene with vegetation filled terraces. Vines here can be vigorous, showing their nourished abundance and they are trained albarello/bush vines and are 60 years old on average. The soil here is unusually deep and composed almost entirely of ash, which is very light and sandy, with exceptional drainage

"Leave it to Marco de Grazia of Tenuta delle Terre Nere to take what many consider a difficult, lower-quality vintage and turn out a lineup of wines that exceeded expectations—and left this taster in awe. Interestingly, when I asked many producers how they adapted their winemaking in a challenging year like 2023, the most common answer was: “We didn’t change anything.” That’s a disappointing reality at many estates, but not here. De Grazia described 2023 as the most difficult vintage he’s experienced on Etna. Spring rains totalling around 400 millimetres triggered a devastating outbreak of downy mildew, cutting yields by up to 70% on the northern slopes. The eastern side was largely spared, which helps explain the strength of Terre Nere’s whites. The wet spring gave way to a hot, drought-stricken summer, leading to thicker skins and uneven ripening, as many vines shut down under hydric stress. Fortunately, light rains in September and ideal conditions through October helped save the harvest. The team responded with intense selection in both vineyard and cellar, followed by shorter macerations and minimal pump overs. The resulting 2023s in bottle are some of the most exotic, finessed and elegant wines Terre Nere has ever produced. They deliver immense pleasure, but in some cases, such as the San Lorenzo, they reach a new level of depth and texture."
- From An Eruption of Fine Wine on Mount Etna (May 2025) by Eric Guido

Price Bracket $101 and Above
Type Red
Body Medium Bodied
Variety Nerello Mascalese
Country Italy
Region Sicily
Reviewed By James Suckling
Vinous
Critic Score 95
Size 750ml
Vintage 2023
Closure Cork

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