2017 Tenuta Delle Terre Nere Vigne Niche Calderara Sottana Italy (Other)

2017 Tenuta Delle Terre Nere Vigne Niche Calderara Sottana

96 DEC

Featured Review

Perfect balance of freshness and richness. This 100% Carricante is perfumed yet austere, citrus yet saline, full yet energised. Fermented on lees. Organic. Drinking Window 2019 - 2029. Decanter

Decanter | 96 DEC

Perfect balance of freshness and richness. This 100% Carricante is perfumed yet austere, citrus yet saline, full yet energised. Fermented on lees. Organic. Drinking Window 2019 - 2029.

Decanter | 96 DEC

Vibrant deep yellow. Deep, round and complex, this enters sweet then turns mineral and steely, with refined lemony, apple and chamomile flavors. Finishes long, very austere and stony, but manages the neat trick of tasting luscious and ripe at the same time. Deeper and more complex than the other 2017 whites I tasted from Terre Nere this year. This 100% Carricante, mostly from 60 years old vines, may well be the best white wine from owner Marc de Grazia’s Terre Nere estate I have ever tried at a similar stage of development.

Vinous Media | 94 VM

Aromas of yogurt, cream and dried pineapple follow through to a full-bodied, round and layered palate with lots of fruit and flavor. Hints of bitter lemons and cooked apples. Slightly oily. From organically grown grapes.

James Suckling | 93 JS

The 2017 Etna Bianco Calderara Sottana is identified as Cuvée delle Vigne Niche on my technical sheet, although I do not see that single-vineyard designation identified on the bottle label. This is a beautiful white wine with lasting aromas of citrus, passion fruit and crushed mineral. This compact white wine hits the palate with sharp and linear focus. That tightness you get at this young stage should evolve and flesh out over the next 5 years of bottle aging. This wine is fermented in stainless steel at low temperatures and it completes malolactic fermentation before going into large oak casks for ten months. Some 9,000 bottles were made.

Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RP

Aromatic hints of beeswax and chamomile accent the flavors of poached nectarine, green almond, kumquat and spice in this well-knit, medium-bodied white. Balanced, with a subtle juiciness throughout and a minerally finish. Drink now through 2027. 500 cases made, 175 cases imported.

Wine Spectator | 91 WS

Type of Wine	Italy (Other) : There are dozens of grape varietals grown in Italy so no wonder they produce such a broad range of most exquisite wines. Some of the most cultivated red varieties are Nebbiolo, Aglianico, Sangiovese, and Barbera, while Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon are also popular. Among whites, you're likely to find Pinot Grigio, Trebbiano, or Vernaccia varietals.
Varietal	Proprietary Blend : Proprietary Blend is a general term used to indicate that a wine is comprised of multiple grape varietals which are either “proprietary” to the winery or is blended and does not meet the required maximum or minimum percentage of a particular varietal. This also is the case for the grape’s place of origin, especially for region, appellation or vineyard designated wines. There are endless examples of blended wines which are labeled as “Proprietary Blend” and in conjunction with each region’s stipulated wine laws and regulations makes for a vast blanket for wines to fall into. Perhaps the simplest example is California; if a wine is to be labeled as Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, it is required to have at least 75% of the varietal (Cabernet Sauvignon) and 85% of the fruit must be cultivated from the Napa Valley wine district. If the wine does not meet the requirements, it is then labeled as Proprietary Blend.
Country	Italy : Italy is renowned as one of the world’s greatest gastronomic havens; from certified Prosciutto di Parma to the sea-side seafood eateries on the island of Sicily. However, this epicurean experience could not possibly be as hedonistic without the ethereal combination of the country’s plethora of fine wines. It seems unfair that a nation should be able to boast, both, some of the world’s greatest cuisine as well as its greatest wines. Italian wine is one of the most sought after in the world, and has become the second most produced in the world, behind only France. Stretching an impressive 736 miles from northern Italy to the peninsula’s southern tip, the country’s geography generates an enormous array of topography, climate and soil structure. This is an extremely important quality of its winegrowing and making industry which lays claim to nearly 550 different grape varietals, which all desire their own necessities, in terms of terroir and climate. The still red wines of Italy truly characterize the nation’s vast and expansive terroir; Nebbiolo dominates Piedmont, where Barolo and Barbaresco reign king and queen of the region’s production. Hailing from Brunello di Montalcino in Tuscany, the rockstar Sangiovese grape has become synonymous with greatness. Vin Santo sweet wines have taken on a mighty feat of competing with the glorious wines of Sauternes, and of course, Prosecco. Prosecco, located in Trieste (northeast Italy) and its creation of luxuriously effervescent styles of wine has become Italy’s answer to Champagne. The Glera grape variety, which has become synonymous with the name Prosecco, is the main ingredient and is beloved in the appellation where the village of Prosecco’s name has become world renowned. The blurred boundary between Italy and the countries of Slovenia and Austria, where German influence still resonates through Friuli wines. The prevalence of Riesling and other such grape varietals is high in this region and have become extremely popular on today’s market. With nearly 702,000 hectares of grapevines covering the massive and diverse landscape, Italy’s annual average of 48.3 million hectoliters of wine production is second only to France in terms of volume and Spain in terms of hectares of vines. The country is vast and overwhelming when it comes to the culinary arts, but perhaps even this is overshadowed by its production of some of the world’s most sought after wines, whether the omnipresent Chianti to the highly collectible and sought after Amarone della Valpolicalla.
Region	Sicily : Kissed by dry, warm climate, gorgeous topography, and with tradition so rich, Sicily is any winemaker's dream. The produce grown here becomes first-class goods, and we mean olives, citrus, grains, and not just the wine. Italian culture centers shared meals with family as one of the most important and profound ways of cultivating bonds and community values. This tendency spills over into everything else they do, naturally including viticulture. This makes Sicilian wines uniquely warm and soulful, each bottle telling its own story. Two native grapes roll off the tongue of sommeliers when they first mention Sicily: Nero d'Avola and Catarratto. Luscious, full, vibrant, these grapes, and especially Catarratto in particular, often find their way into the blends of wines from cooler sites in Italy to bring them weight and contrast their acidity. Sicily is home to other grape varietals including Inzolia, Grillo, Grecanico, Frappato and many more. Though you can't really go wrong with Sicilian wines, beginners shouldn't miss out on sweet, exuberant, mouthwatering Marsala. What this mind-boggling elixir delivers is so purely emotional and intense that touches even the most skeptical of souls. In the true spirit of Italy, this beauty combines with virtually any meal you can think of, best suited for large get-togethers with family and celebrations of any kind.