2024 Terre Nere Etna Bianco 'Vigne Niche' Calderara Sottana 750ml Bottle

The graceful white shows precision balance and a sense of finesse. Long and satiny on the palate, with vibrant, fine china like acidity acting as a springboard for layered flavours of nectarine, yellow plum and persimmon fruit, plus lemon oil, minerally salt and stone notes. Offers hints of mountain herbs and white pepper. Though hard to swap sipping today, this should also be a showstopper with cellaring. Wine Spectator, 95 points

The only white ‘Grand Cru’ that Marco makes. The soils here are entirely large pumice stone volcanic rocks of decent size overlaying ash and a large amount of sand. A moonscape of stones that makes you wonder how anything can grow here. Their starkness makes the colour and vigour of the vines pop even more when you visit. As you might expect, yields are naturally low and the fruit that eventuates from these hard-working vines is packed with as much character as the place itself. Vine age is a little lower on average with the oldest vines being around 30 years and the youngest planted at the same time as Santo Spirito’s youths; 2007. The vineyard sits at around 650m ASL and winemaking mirrors that of Santo Spirito. The resultant wine is denser and more concentrated with a similar exotic flavour but in a more savoury and spice-tinged frame. It is quite intense and opens up quickly in a glass, with bursts of fruit, loads of saline and crushed rock minerality, and incredible length. Distributor notes