Pietradolce Etna Rosso 2022

Iron and mineral-rich notes of soil, bricks and blood on the nose of this wine gain a fruity tang from Bing cherries and strawberries. These impressions continue on the palate, with spicy notes of black peppercorns and red chile flakes. Earthiness follows all the way through, balanced by spirited acid.

This is the entry-level red from one of the most exciting wineries on the slopes of Mount Etna. The Pietradolce 2021 Etna Rosso shows cassis, campfire ash and wild rose. This lean-bodied wine is fresh and tart, perfect for pork roast with potatoes. Production is 25,000 bottles.

With a bouquet of black raspberries in an air of cracked slate, flint, ashen stone and smoke, the 2020 Etna Rosso makes itself known. It’s round and silky, with an initial burst of inner sweetness that’s quickly contrasted by tart wild berries and mineral tones that saturate toward the close. The 2020 keeps the energy high, even as it finishes lightly structured, leaving sour citrus and blackberries to linger. I love the vibrancy and vivid fruit here, but do give this some air to blow off a bit of its youthful reduction.

For a young Etna Rosso this is very easy to enjoy, thanks to the ripe red-berry character, delicate earthiness and the full-bodied, silky palate. A bit simple and dry at the finish.