Parker om:
Etna Rosso Guardiola Premier Cru
The Tenuta delle Terre Nere 2024 Etna Rosso Guardiola comes from volcanic sand mixed with basalt pebbles in one of the estate’s coolest, steepest and most dramatically terraced vineyards, with a Madonna watching over the site from above. This was the first parcel Marco de Grazia purchased, some 26 years ago, after its former owner conceded that he could no longer work it. For de Grazia, it was love at first sight. His fascination with Etna had begun after tasting Benanti wines in Florence, prompting him to sail down from Tuscany and explore the volcano by car. He presented the first Tenuta delle Terre Nere wines at Vinitaly in 2002, and the brand quickly took off. *** Guardiola remains something of a mystery. It has historically produced difficult, edgy and gnarly wines, but de Grazia recalls that the site seemed to bloom and relax in 2018, revealing high soprano notes and beautifully juicy tannins. He compares Guardiola to Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuses, a premier cru that seems to touch something close to grand cru status. *** The 2024 is gorgeous, initially showing richness, sensuality and softer, fuller tannins. The fruit folds over the structure, making the wine feel complete. However, when I returned to it at the end of the tasting, its relative leanness became clearer. It does not have the same richness or weight as the wines poured later in the portfolio. Guardiola remains the “leanest and meanest” of the group, shaped by its cool climate, high elevation and exposed terraces.
