Italy's Top Emerging Winery: Maugeri
Michele Boscia
We’ve believed in the quality of Renato Maugeri’s wines since we first started working with him, along with his daughters Carla, Michela, and Paola. Given the estate has only been in production for the past few years, the family has taken some amazing strides in that time.
This past month, Gambero Rosso awarded just two white wines from Etna the coveted Tre Bicchieri (three glasses) as the region’s best, and Maugeri’s Etna Bianco Superiore Contrada Volpare was one of them. Here at Oliver McCrum, we believe that Mount Etna is one of the best white wine terroirs in Italy, and Maugeri is a perfect example of it. Clearly we were thrilled with the news, yet not surprised!
Yet, in addition to the Tre Bicchieri, Maugeri was also honored with the award of top emerging winery in all of Italy, with Gambero Rosso writing: “Etna continues to produce spectacular new labels and new wineries. In just three harvests, the winery of Renato Maugeri and his daughters Carla, Michela, and Paola has established itself as one of the denomination’s most significant, from vineyard-specific winemaking to a complete hospitality system.”
What makes the wines from Maugeri so distinctive is their dedication to typicality and locality. There’s no flashy winemaking interfering with the inherent character of the grapes or the expression of the land. The location is allowed to speak for itself and the Maugeri family has proven itself to be the perfect steward for these vineyards.
The Tre Bicchieri-winning Etna Bianco Contrado Volpare is made entirely of Carricante grapes grown in sandy decomposed lava soil near Milo, on the east side of Mount Etna. The vines were planted around 2010, on terraces surrounded by dry-stone walls and forest, at about 700 meters (2,300 feet) above sea level. The fruit from this vineyard translates into flavors of wet stones and Mediterranean herbs in the glass with bright acidity and a stunning minerality that transcends the finish.
As one can imagine, calls and requests for Maugeri have picked up since the awards were announced, so we encourage anyone interested in allocations to inquire sooner than later!