Acclaim

The 2019 Etna Bianco Archineri (with 7,000 bottles produced) is a pure expression of Carricante from pre-phylloxera vines. The wine is made in stainless steel and you get a very pure and precise taste of the grape as a result. This was a great growing season on Etna, resulting in nicely concentrated and shapely fruit, so that simple winemaking approach is well matched to the elegance of vintage material on hand. Peach, honey and crushed stone rise to the forefront of the bouquet.” -Monica Larner

A release of 7,000 bottles, the 2017 Etna Rosso Archineri is a fine and delicate expression from Etna that presents concise and carefully laid-out aromas of wild fruit, tart cherry, mountain herb and fresh violets. Not all red wines from this hot and dry vintage have held up as nicely nor are as vibrant as this pretty wine from Michele Faro and his team at Pietradolce. To the palate, the wine is lean and crisp and there is a salty note to the finish. In fact, this is nearly lean enough to enjoy with a seared tuna steak. -Monica Larner

This is the top red wine made by Pietradolce, and its striking black label is meant to underline its importance in the estate portfolio. The 2017 Etna Rosso Barbagalli offers a pretty garnet color and a lean to mid-weight approach. Made with fruit from pre-phylloxera vines from one of the highest elevation vineyards in the appellation (at 950 meters above sea level), this is always a study in elegance, and the integrity of the fruit transcends most problematic vintage variations thanks to the hearty resilience of the vines and their extended root systems. This wine shows composure and equilibrium with an incredibly glossy or silky quality of fruit with berry, smoke, tar and campfire ash. That old-vine concentration and power (with 15% alcohol) also comes through clearly. Only 2,500 bottles were released. – Monica Larner

With pre-phylloxera fruit from 90-year-old vines in the village of Castiglione di Sicilia, this asset in the Pietradolce portfolio is a relatively new addition. The 2017 Etna Rosso Contrada Rampante shows some extra concentration and darkness that reflects the vineyard site and the hot growing conditions of the vintage. The wine offers a lot of savory characteristics with leather and crushed stone, but there are some solid tones of blackberry and wild plum at its core. This was a release of about 4,000 bottles. – Monica Larner

Another 2017 release of 4,000 bottles and also from pre-phylloxera Nerello Mascalese vines, the Pietradolce 2017 Etna Rosso Contrada Santo Spirito is really quite beautifully balanced and composed in the vintage, more so than I would have expected given some of the excessive heat that came during the summer months. With fruit from a vineyard site in Castiglione di Sicilia, the wine reveals a polished, dark ruby appearance with lighthearted aromas of sour cherry and tart cassis. Those delicate berry embellishments are wrapped around spice, mineral and earth. – Monica Larner

Made with Carricante from pre-phylloxera vines, the 2017 Sant’Andrea is an ambitious wine that teaches us about the potential and longevity of this fascinating white grape from Etna. Fruit is carefully selected from a one-hectare site perched at a very high 900 meters above sea level. The wine is fermented in French oak barrel and sees extended skin maceration to increase the color, concentration and texture of this elegantly tapered and medium-bodied white. Indeed, you are greeted by a rich golden color and an open-knit bouquet that puts honey, apricot and preserved lemon right out there. The hot 2017 vintage shaped aromatic depth and length. The finish is quite dry and almost crunchy, with a pretty mineral-driven signature. A precious 1,800 bottles will be released in January 2022. This is my favorite edition of Sant’Andrea made thus far (with the first vintage made in 2015).  -Monica Larner

A pure expression of Carricante, the entry-level Pietradolce 2020 Etna Bianco is a fun and versatile wine made in a simple manner in steel vats to lock in freshness. The bouquet reveals citrus, white peach and crushed stone. Fruit is drawn from a five-hectare site at a high 750 meters above sea level with well-draining sandy soils mixed in with lots of stones. The wine is clean and snappy, and that pretty acidity adds lots of life and spirit to the bouquet. Production is a solid 15,000 bottles and you get excellent value.  -Monica Larner

Of these new releases from Poderi Luigi Einaudi, the 2017 Barolo Bussia is the wine that shows the most overt markings of the hot and dry growing season. This is something we saw this vintage across a good many of the Nebbiolo-based wines from Bussia, despite this being one of the larger and therefore less accurately summed up MGA crus in the wider Barolo appellation. The vines are south-facing to absorb long sun hours and planted in calcareous marl soils. The Barolo Bussia reveals some subtle over-ripeness with sweet aromas of wild strawberry, dried raspberry and cherry confit. That softness is wrapped up firmly by Nebbiolo’s lasting structure and elegant tannins. This 7,776-bottle release is poised for a slightly more immediate drinking window. -Monica Larner, Wine Advocate, Oct 2021

The Poderi Luigi Einaudi 2017 Barolo Cannubi draws its fruit from a very special site (as all Cannubi enthusiasts can attest to) with grayish Sant’Agata marls soils with a mix of sand, clay and calcareous material. These light, well-draining soils tend to produce high-pitched wines with plenty of lifted or vertical aromatic intensity. The wine boasts aromas of wild berry, purple rose, dry mint and crushed stone. The wine’s texture is lean and silky. There’s plenty of power to drive the wine’s future bottle evolution. Production is 12,000 bottles. -Monica Larner, Wine Advocate, Oct 2021

This is an accessible Barolo that delivers plenty of varietal and territorial typicity without breaking the bank. With 37,855 bottles released, the Poderi Luigi Einaudi 2017 Barolo Ludo draws its fruit from the younger vines across various vineyards, including Cannubi, Terlo and Bussia. The wine promises a fresh and snappy style, with wild fruit, tarry resin, blue flower and crushed limestone. Those pretty and faithfully characteristic Nebbiolo tones are drawn out nicely by the medium-rich texture of the wine. -Monica Larner, Wine Advocate, Oct 2021