96+ points - "Etna Rosso Calderara Sottana is dreamy, with a perfumed bouquet of rose, violet, smoke and sour citrus. This is wildly energetic and spry, with crisp red berry fruits and crunchy mineral tones that create an amazing tactile feel as sweet spice tones resonate throughout. The 2023 closes down hard through the finish, as expected in its youthful state. A saturation of crushed wild blueberry and lavender fades slowly." - Vinous

95 points - "The graceful white shows precision balance and a sense of finesse. Long and satiny on the palate, with vibrant, fine china like acidity acting as a springboard for layered flavours of nectarine, yellow plum and persimmon fruit, plus lemon oil, minerally salt and stone notes. Offers hints of mountain herbs and white pepper. Though hard to swap sipping today, this should also be a showstopper with cellaring." - Wine Spectator

Importer Notes:

Vintage 24

A difficult but very high-quality vintage where yields were back to almost normal for whites. No snow formed on the peaks of Mount Etna over winter in 23/24 leaving no reserves of water on the lead up tot the growing season. Higher than normal temperatures followed and drought stress was present for unestablished vineyards. Those boasting vine age fared very well. Where 70% of crops were lost in 23 due to peronospera/mildew - in 2024 approximately 20% of whites were lost due to drought. For older vineyard with deeper roots, quality was very high with lifted aromatics, concentration, and lively acidity a common thread. This is one of the more impressive vintages we have seen for Etna Bianco’s.

The only white ‘Grand Cru’ that Marco makes. The soils here are entirely large pumice stone volcanic rocks of decent size overlaying ash and a large amount of sand. A moonscape of stones that makes you wonder how anything can grow here. Their starkness makes the colour and vigour of the vines pop even more when you visit. As you might expect, yields are naturally low and the fruit that eventuates from these hard-working vines is packed with as much character as the place itself. Vine age is a little lower on average with the oldest vines being around 30 years and the youngest planted at the same time as Santo Spirito’s youths; 2007. The vineyard sits at around 650m ASL and winemaking mirrors that of Santo Spirito. The resultant wine is denser and more concentrated with a similar exotic flavour but in a more savoury and spice-tinged frame. It is quite intense and opens up quickly in a glass, with bursts of fruit, loads of saline and crushed rock minerality, and incredible length.