2020 Pietradolce Etna Rosso DOC Rampante, Sicily

Decisive and sunny, it shows Mediterranean notes that recall black cherries, red plums, strawberries, incense, dates, sautéed mushrooms, sage and marjoram. Medium body, slightly rigid tannins and a decisive, engaging and splendidly modern progression finish. Better from 2025.

96 points winescritic.com

Tar, graphite, dried roses, dark minerals and oranges with just a hint of earthy sweet spices. Structured and full-bodied on the palate with a heap of dusty tannins and a lengthy, cohesive finish. Drink or hold.

94 points jamessuckling.com

Pietradolce Etna Rosso DOC Rampante is one of the purest and most ethereal expressions of Nerello Mascalese from the slopes of Mount Etna. The Rampante vineyard, located in the village of Passopisciaro on the northern side of the volcano, sits at over 800 metres elevation, making it one of the highest Contrade in the region. The altitude, combined with the friable volcanic soils and old bush vines, gives this wine its haunting fragrance, precision and striking minerality.

Pietradolce has become a benchmark for high-altitude Etna reds, and Rampante is one of their most prized single-vineyard bottlings. Vines are up to 100 years old, planted ungrafted in black basaltic sand, and cultivated with minimal intervention. The wine is fermented in concrete and aged in large-format oak, which enhances purity rather than imposing flavour.

In the glass, it reveals pale ruby hues with a nose of wild red berries, dried rose, orange zest, salty minerals and a touch of crushed stone. The palate is taut and linear, with refined tannins and a core of sour cherry, mountain herbs, blood orange and smoke, leading to a long, resonant finish. There's something both delicate and volcanic about it, a wine of tension and grace that rewards slow contemplation.

Best enjoyed with roast quail, porcini pasta, or eggplant involtini. It is already impressive young, but cellaring for 5 to 10 years will reward with additional layers of depth and nuance.