Getting Volcanic with Tenute Nicosia Wines from Italy

What do you know about Sicily’s Tenute Nicosia winery?

Tenute Nicosia‘s goal is to promote the best wine-growing areas in Sicily (around Mt. Etna) while fully respecting the environment, focusing on the finest native varieties and the international cultivars that can best adapt to Sicily’s terroir. The winery is headed by Carmelo Nicosia, assisted by his sons Francesco and Graziano and a close-knit team of young people.

Mt. Etna is home to indigenous grape varieties like Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio, which have adapted well to the challenging environment. Nerello Mascalese in particular, is known for producing wines with bright red fruit flavours, herbal notes, and a smoky or flinty minerality reflecting the volcanic soils. Wines from volcanic soils tend to have a firmer structure, often with pronounced tannins, which provide aging potential. Volcanic soils also tend to retain water in a way that can help moderate temperature extremes and encourage a longer growing season. This helps the grapes maintain higher acidity levels, contributing to freshness and vibrancy in the wine.

I received two bottles of Tenute Nicosia’s Etna Rosso DOC wines to review; their Tenute Nicosia Vulka Etna Rosso DOC 2020 and Lenza di Munti 2019. Both wines are made with a blend of Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio grapes. Let me tell you about them.

My Wine Tasting Notes

Tenute Nicosia Vulka Etna Rosso DOC 2020

Made with 80% Nerello Mascalese and 20% Nerello Cappuccio grapes. Cool fermented then aged mainly in stainless steel vats, with short ageing in tonneaux and 5-6 months in the bottle.

Appearance: This wine has a clear, medium garnet colour.
Nose: Medium-plus, fresh aromas of juicy red cherries, red berries, candied cherries, plums, and sweet spices. You can add cranberry aromas after decanting.
Palate: It is dry, light-bodied, smooth with a lean mouthfeel. With swirling the wine gets bigger and rounder on the palate. Fresh flavours of cherries, red plums, and touches of sweet spices, oak and candied cherries. Lighter tannins but higher acidity. With swirling you also get floral and red apple flavours. The tannins bump up to medium after decanting. You also get some leather flavour.
Finish: Medium-plus length finishing with red fruit flavours, some tart fruit and oak, then some pepperiness and candied cherries. Add a touch of leather on the finish after decanting.

This is a wine awarded “tre bicchieri”, Three Cups, from Gambero Rosso, a top award in the Italian wine industry. It is a tasty wine; dry with red fruit aromas and flavours. Decanting adds a touch of leather on the palate, which I enjoy.

Rating: This wine has a medium garnet colour. Fresh aromas of juicy red cherries, red berries, candied cherries, plums, and sweet spices. Light-bodied with a smooth, lean mouthfeel. Fresh flavours of cherries, red plums, and touches of sweet spices, oak and candied cherries. Lighter tannins but higher acidity. Medium-plus length.

Tenute Nicosia Vulka Etna Rosso DOC 2020 and Lenza di Munti Etna Rosso DOC 2019 with wines in glasses

Tenute Nicosia Lenza di Munti Etna Rosso DOC 2019

The grapes are grown on the lava terraces located at an altitude of about 720 m a.s.l. on the Southeastern slopes of Mount Etna. Made with 85% Nerello Mascalese and 15% Nerello Cappuccio grapes. Cool fermented then aged mainly in stainless steel vats, with short ageing in tonneaux and 5-6 months in the bottle.

Appearance: It has a clear, medium-plus garnet colour. About 70% opaque.
Nose: Light aromas of red fruit, sweet spices, and black pepper. The aromas became a little stronger and sweet after decanting.
Palate: This wine is dry, medium body with a smooth, lean, thick texture. Candied black fruit, black cherries, oak, vanilla and bitter dark chocolate flavours. Medium acidity and tannins. The tannins get firmer toward the finish. I also pick up a touch of coffee flavour toward the finish. The wine became rounder after decanting and I lost the hint of coffee.
Finish: A medium-plus length finishing dry with dark fruit, bitter dark chocolate and a touch of coffee flavours. Medium-plus tannins on the finish. Again, no touch of coffee after decanting. The tannins lightened up a bit.

This is a deep, brooding wine with a tanninic structure. No need to decant, but it doesn’t hurt if you want to enjoy this wine over a few days.

Rating: – A deeper garnet-coloured wine with light aromas of red fruit, sweet spices, and black pepper. It is dry with a medium body and smooth, thick mouthfeel. Candied black fruit, black cherries, oak, vanilla and bitter dark chocolate flavours. Medium acidity and tannins. A medium-plus length.