Description
The Girolamo Russo estate was founded in 2005 by Giuseppe Russo, in memory of his late father. The family are native of Passopisciaro, one of the key villages at the heart of the rebirth of Etna’s most important grape variety, Nerello Mascalese.
This is the north face of Europe’s largest active volcano, Mount Etna, in the north-eastern corner of Sicily. The Russos have 26 hectares of land in and around Passopisciaro, with 15 hectares of vineyards surrounded by olive and hazelnut groves. The vineyards are high up, between 650 and 780 metres above sea level, inland from the beautiful town of Taormina. Many of the free-standing bush vines are over 80 years old, surviving in harmony with Etna’s black, mineral-rich volcanic soil.
Giuseppe works the vineyards organically and makes the wines himself. He vinifies each parcel separately, seeking out their individual identities in a series of wines that reflect the diverse character of their terroirs.
An attention to detail that, apart from leading the company to obtain.
Tasting Notes
“The 2021 Etna Rosso San Lorenzo Piano delle Colombe is intense and youthfully backward, grumbling up with a tightly coiled yet complex bouquet. Exotic spices emerge amidst a mix of dried berries, with shavings of cedar and hints of forest floor that ground the experience. It’s elegant and harmonious throughout. Textures of pure silk gain lift through brilliant acidity as a coating of chalky minerals saturates and ripe wild berry fruit cascade throughout. This tapers off with a piercing layer of fine tannin as violet inner florals and notes of tart blackberry linger on. This is the most complete interpretation of Piano delle Colombe I’ve experienced. In a word: superb.” [95+/100 – Eric Guido – March 2024 – www.vinous.com]
