2022-C Murgo Etna Rosato DOC, Sicily, Italy (750ml)
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A Monthly Wine Club Selection
Emanuele Scammacca Barone del Murgo enjoyed a long, important career as a diplomat, serving as Italian Ambassador to Brussels and Moscow, as well as Assistant Secretary of the Estate of Foreign Affairs for Italy. His family had been cultivating olives and making wine on the slopes of Mount Etna—Sicily's still active volcano—since 1850. While production was originally intended for local consumption only (mainly friends and family), in 1981, Emanuele got more serious about the wine business. Well aware of the family estate’s excellent terroir (composed exclusively of decomposed lava), and with the help of his eight sons, he set out to transform the ancient property into a modern wine estate. They initially focused their efforts on Nerello Mascalese—an indigenous Sicilian grape varietal that thrives in the island’s high-altitude vineyards and pure volcanic soils.
Murgo bottled their first Etna Rosso in 1982 and their first brut in 1990, followed soon after by a Brut Rosé; a lovely bubbly, which we were thrilled to have featured in our Sparkling club—and have tried to always have on hand since (when it's available). Today, the estate produces over a dozen different wines from their 60 acres of sustainably farmed, terraced vines that sit at altitudes between 1600–2000 feet above sea level. The Murgo family cares for its vines as naturally as possible, and harvest is always by hand.
The 2022 Murgo Etna Rosato is made from 100% estate-grown Nerello Mascalese from 30-40-year-old vines. The grapes were destemmed; and underwent cold maceration for four hours. The free-run juice was bled oƒ (rosé de saignée) and fermented with selected yeasts in temperature-controlled, stainless-steel tanks. The young wine was also aged in tank on fine lees for five months before bottling; and subsequently in bottle for two months before release. 1,000 cases produced.
Bright peachy, pink. Inviting aromas of ripe, red summer fruits. The palate is juicy, with tangy flavors of Rainier cherry, raspberry, blood orange, a hint of tarragon, and notes of crushed rock. Light, bright and refreshingly clean, with a long, harmonious finish.