2024 Tenuta Tascante Ghiaia Nera Etna Rosso

Tenuta Tascante Winery

Tenuta Tascante is the Etna project of the famous Sicilian winery Tasca d'Almerita, a family business that has played a significant role in the Italian wine world since 1830. While Tasca d'Almerita became primarily known in Sicily itself, the family also recognized the enormous potential of Mount Etna. On the northern slopes of this active volcano, they developed Tascante, entirely focused on the unique terroirs and indigenous grapes of Etna. The focus here is on precision, terroir expression, and elegance, with Nerello Mascalese playing the leading role. More information about this winery can be found under the Winery tab.

Region, climate and location

The 2024 Ghiaia Nera comes from the northern slopes of Mount Etna, one of the most fascinating wine regions of Italy. The vineyards are situated at an altitude of approximately 600 meters, on soils of volcanic ash, lava fragments, and black stone. These poor, porous soils result in low yields and give the wine a distinct mineral tension.

What makes Etna so special is the combination of a Mediterranean climate with pronounced altitude variations. Warm days are followed by cool nights, allowing the grapes to retain their freshness and ripen with aromatic complexity. Due to these conditions, Nerello Mascalese develops a style here that is often compared to Pinot Noir or Nebbiolo, with refined tannins, fresh acidity, and great transparency in terroir expression.

The 2024 vintage displays a beautiful balance between ripe fruit and tension, with the volcanic soil and altitude providing liveliness and finesse.

Vineyards and grape varieties

The 2024 Tascante Ghiaia Nera is made from 100% Nerello Mascalese, the iconic grape of Mount Etna. This grape is known for its refined structure, aromatic finesse, and striking freshness. On Mount Etna, Nerello Mascalese develops a character entirely of its own that distinguishes itself strongly from grapes on the Italian mainland.

The combination of volcanic soils, altitude, and wide temperature variations creates a wine style that feels both elegant and powerful. Tascante's relatively young vineyards already impart great aromatic precision and refinement to the wine, while additional bottle aging is expected to provide even more structure and complexity. The grapes are typically harvested in mid-October, relatively late to achieve optimal phenolic ripeness.

Harvest, vinification and aging

After the manual harvest, the grapes are carefully selected to use only optimally ripe fruit. Fermentation takes place with great attention to preserving fruit expression and finesse, befitting the delicate structure of Nerello Mascalese.

After fermentation, the wine ages for approximately twelve months in large 60-hectoliter Slavonian oak botti. These large wooden vats impart hardly any dominant wood influence, allowing the fruit and volcanic character to remain almost entirely central. The result is a wine that prioritizes tension, purity, and terroir expression.

Color, smell and taste

The 2024 Ghiaia Nera displays a bright medium cherry-red color with slight transparency, typical of Nerello Mascalese. On the nose, the wine opens refined and expressive with aromas of violets, black cherries, wild blackberry, and dark berries, supported by subtle floral nuances and light spiciness.

Behind this emerge refined notes of volcanic minerality, a subtle smokiness, and light vanilla tones that are beautifully interwoven with the fruit. Despite its Mediterranean origins, the wine feels remarkably fresh and energetic.

On the palate, the wine combines juiciness with tension and elegance. Ripe red and black fruit is supported by lively acidity and refined tannins. The structure feels almost Burgundian in its finesse and transparency, while the volcanic subsoil adds extra depth and minerality. A light spiciness and invigorating freshness provide extra tension towards the long, mouth-filling finish. What impresses most is the balance between power and elegance. This is a wine that feels simultaneously refined, energetic, and full of character. :c

Wine & Food and Discount

If available, you will find the official factsheet and additional information about this fine wine in the 'Attachments' tab. We will automatically send these to you upon ordering this wine. The wine is stored in our climate-controlled Wine Warehouse, and if you come to collect the wine, you will often receive a nice discount. You will see your discount immediately when you select 'Pick up' on the checkout page. We are located in Dordrecht, situated almost next to the A16 with ample parking. Click here for our address.

You can read full wine reviews from Parker, Suckling, Vinous, and Wine Spectator, among others. Need advice on finding the ideal wine for your dish? Click here for our exclusive Sommelier. Free for Grandcruwijnen customers. In the Food tab, you will find advice on what to look for for the right food and wine pairing, and a number of dish suggestions from our Sommelier.