ABOUT I SUOLI:

As if Giuseppe Russo wasn’t sufficiently busy with the wines he makes under the Girolamo Russo label, he has committed to this new project with his two friends, Dante Pasqua and oenologist Emiliano Falsini. He will make both red wines and different styles of spumante (sparkling wines), from vineyards near his winery in Passopisciaro, on the north side of Mount Etna. Giuseppe’s father was a farmer and winemaker here, with vineyards and a pretty substantial winery building right in the village of Passopisciaro, next to the railroad tracks.

From Walter Speller, on Jancisrobinson.com:

‘Last January saw the release of two red wines from Etna by newcomer I Suoli, or 'The Soils'. I might have overlooked them, were it not for the fact that one of Etna's best producers, Giuseppe Russo of the Girolamo Russo estate, is involved, along with the eminent oenologist Emiliano Falsini and non-wine-related Dante Pasqua. Pasqua is an old friend of Giuseppe Russo and the two go back as far as the sand pit. The wines, made of 100% Nerello Mascalese, carry quirky labels designed by the multi-talented Carla Capalbo...'*

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the wines:

Terre Siciliane Spumante ‘Piripicchio’

This rosé sparkling wine is made entirely of Nerello Mascalese, from vines that are between 40 and 100 years old, grown at between 650 and 750 meters (roughly 2,100 and 2,500 feet) in elevation. The soils are volcanic, as they are everywhere on Etna, formed from lava flows of different periods that have weathered with time. The wine is made by a very unusual winemaking method called the ‘Metodo Scacchi,’ which starts with the production of a rosé still wine: fruit is picked in early October; the grapes are pressed, with a few hours of maceration in the press to pick up a little pink color, then allowed to start fermenting using their own yeasts. Once the base wine is made, it ages in tank and used barriques until the following fall, when it is blended with a little unfermented juice from the new harvest. Then the combination is bottled with a crown cap; the wine referments in the bottle, with all of the CO2 being captured, along with a little residual yeast from the fermentation. The wine is released after about six months. (This is a little like the ‘methode champenois,’ but using must instead of sugar, and with no disgorgement.)

Nerello Mascalese makes excellent rosé, of course, one of the most interesting in Italy, and this just a sparkling version of it. Piripicchio loosely translates to ‘happy go lucky’ a nod to the intention behind the wine - drink with friends without the usual formality associated with sparkling wine.

Six thousand bottles produced.

Etna Rosso ‘I Rilievi’

Made of Nerello Mascalese, harvested in late October, mostly de-stemmed, crushed, and fermented in a stainless steel tank at controlled temperature.The vines are between 40 and 100 years old, grown at between 650 and 750 meters (roughly 2,100 and 2,500 feet) in elevation. The soils are volcanic, as they are everywhere on Etna, formed from lava flows of different periods that have weathered with time. The skins are macerated in the tank for about 15 days, then the wine is pressed off and aged in used barrels for about a year. 

In the glass, a perfect example of very good Etna Rosso; misleadingly pale color, as is typical of this variety, with aromas and flavors of red fruit, wild herbs, and a touch of tar; great texture on the palate, very attractive fine tannins, fresh, very long. Very drinkable on release, I would drink this with red meats or cheese.

* see jancisrobinson.com for more, including tasting notes.

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more information:

Learn more about Emiliano Falsini

Learn more about Girolamo Russo