Cantine Cellaro Micina Terre Siciliane Nerello Mascalese 2023

95 POINTS: Luca Maroni
95 POINTS: Wine Direct Tasting Team
GOLD MEDAL: Berlin Wine Trophy

“Think of this as Etna Rosso’s younger sibling — made from the same Nerello Mascalese grape that thrives on the volcanic slopes of Mount Etna, but crafted in a fresher, softer, more easy-drinking style from vineyards on the hills around Lake Arancio in Sicily. Full of bright red cherry and raspberry fruit, a touch of smoky minerality, and that hallmark fine, silky tannin that makes Nerello Mascalese so Burgundian in feel. What we love about this is that it is so approachable but not lacking in any of the unique character of the Nerello Mascalese grape.”
- Wine Direct Tasting Team

Cantine Cellaro, in southern Sicily, is part of the Fantini group, founded by Valentino Sciotti in 1994 to produce top-quality wine from southern Italy. In 2005, Valentino and his and Sicilian winemaker Giuseppe Alfano Burruano planted their own vineyards on the hills around Lake Arancio, in Sambuca di Sicilia. Here, the untouched landscape boasts many ancient vineyards and proximity to the lake creates a perfect microclimate for grape growing. Their vines are planted at 400 metres above sea level on clay soils with good water retention capacity, which helps sustain the vines through Sicily’s hot summers. Today, these vines continue to flourish, lending themselves to attractive, characterful and moist importantly drinkable wines.

13.5% Abv