2024 Tenuta Delle Terre Nere Vigne Niche Montalto Bianco, Sicily

High on the northern slopes of Mount Etna, Montalto is one of the most elevated and windswept contrade, producing Carricante of piercing tension and clarity. Tenuta delle Terre Nere was founded by Marco de Grazia, a pioneer who saw Etna’s fragmented lava flow vineyards as the equivalent of Burgundian crus. His philosophy has always been contrada by contrada expression, farming old vines organically and treating each parcel as a distinct site. The Vigne Niche bottlings focus on tiny, carefully selected parcels within these crus, highlighting the most precise and expressive fruit.

Montalto’s altitude and volcanic ash soils give naturally high acidity and mineral drive. In the cellar, fermentation is handled with restraint, often in a mix of stainless steel and neutral oak to build subtle texture without masking the volcanic core. Lees ageing adds breadth and quiet complexity while preserving the linear spine that defines the site. The aim is transparency and longevity rather than weight.

Pale gold in colour, the aromas open with lemon peel, green apple and white peach layered with jasmine, fennel and smoky crushed stone. The palate is tightly structured and vibrant, with citrus and orchard fruit carried by bright acidity and a saline, mineral edge. Flavours extend into a long, focused finish that feels cool, etched and distinctly volcanic.

It pairs beautifully with grilled fish, shellfish, Sicilian seafood dishes and fresh cheeses. Already compelling for its precision and lift, it will cellar confidently for ten to fifteen years, gaining honeyed and nutty nuance while retaining its tension.