2023 Idda Etna Rosso, Sicily

The aromas of cranberries, pears, honeysuckle and other white flowers are enticing. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins and a fresh, bright finish. A little closed now but already very enjoyable. Drink or hold.

94 points jamessuckling.com

High on the slopes of Mount Etna, this red is a vivid translation of volcanic terroir into Pinot like elegance and tension. Idda is a collaboration driven by respect for Etna’s extreme landscape, where Nerello Mascalese grows in black lava sand at serious elevation, exposed to wind, sun and sharp temperature swings. These conditions produce fruit with pale colour but deep flavour, natural acidity and a smoky mineral signature that feels inseparable from the mountain itself. The goal is transparency rather than weight, letting Etna speak clearly.

Winemaking is restrained and precise, protecting perfume and fine tannin rather than chasing extraction. The result is a wine that feels lifted, structured and alive, built on tension and savoury detail.

In the glass it shows a bright ruby with garnet tones. Aromas open with sour cherry, wild strawberry and pomegranate, followed by rose petal, dried herbs, orange peel and a faint smoky ash note. There is a dusty, stony character that evokes warm volcanic rock after rain.

The palate is medium bodied and finely etched, with red berry fruit wrapped in chalky tannins and a vibrant acid line that gives energy and length. Flavours echo the nose, cherry, cranberry and savoury herbs, finishing dry and mineral with a saline edge. The texture is silky yet tensile, balancing delicacy with grip.

It pairs beautifully with grilled lamb, pork, mushroom dishes, tomato based pasta and Sicilian cooking rich in herbs and olive oil. Slightly chilled, it becomes even more vibrant. Drinking well now with air, it will cellar comfortably for eight to twelve years, developing earthy and leathery complexity.

This is Etna in a pure voice, fragrant, mineral and electric with volcanic tension.