Tenuta Delle Terre Nere - 2024 Vigne Niche Santo Spirito

Unlike our Etna Bianco DOC, which is composed of a blend of 5 white grapes, the selection “Vigne Niche” is only Carricante.
“I decided to produce it in 2007, after having been fortunate enough to taste a 42-year-old Carricante on two different occasions. This wine proved so beautiful, so impeccable and vigorous despite its venerable age, that I was moved to attempt to produce something similar. I tried to imagine how an obviously talented winemaker had produced such a wine, and virtually without any technological help at all. And I tried to imitate what I had imagined. The selection “Vigne Niche” is the result.” Marco de Grazia
Then came 2014. An important year: seven years earlier we had planted carricante vineyards on our side, the northern one, historically dedicated exclusively to the great reds. The great quality of the grapes, combined with the vigorous age of the vineyards, allowed us to broaden the spectrum of taste with the production of two white crus: an opportunity that came at an extremely auspicious time, given the success of the 2013 Cuvée delle Vigne Niche.
After all, just like for reds, achieving the production of Cru del Bianco is the culmination of a dream, pursued scientifically: from separate winemaking to understanding which grapes were suitable, what soil, and what work was needed to achieve the long-awaited production.
The two white crus from the northern area, named after the Contrade of origin, Calderara Sottana and Santo Spirito respectively, are made up of Carricante from old and young vineyards, since finding excellent Carricante in an area of the DOC mainly dedicated to reds is not easy.
The wines are fermented and aged in 10 hectolitre barrels. They are wines whose rare complexity and structure flourishes wonderfully over time. Of great longevity, they will reward your patience with a beauty of unusual nobility.
Unlike Calderara Sottana, this wine has a more open and exuberant nose – thanks to the generosity of the many, many volcanic ash present in the Contrada. If Calderara Sottana is a tenor, Santo Spirito is more of a soprano: the freshness is more accentuated, as is the spring vivacity, floral and rich expression of its very fine nature. - Tenuta Delle Terre Nere, Winery.