The name Eruzione 1614 refers to the eruption of the volcano Etna in 1614 which lasted for 10 years! Eruzione 1614 is made from Nerello Mascalese, which is grown in the Sciara Nuova and Vigne Vecchie vineyards in Castiglione di Sicilia, at the foot of Mount Etna in northeastern Sicily. Here, the black, mineral-rich volcanic soil produces very delicate and stylish wines. The wine is vinified at the Feudo di Mezzo winery.
The grapes are hand-sorted on arrival at the cellar and cooled to approx. 10 degrees. After destemming, the grapes are fermented in 150 hl. steel tanks, with twice daily so-called “délestage” and “remontage”, which consists of pumping must from the lower part of the tanks over the top to keep the grape skins down in the must and thereby extract more color and flavor from them. After fermentation and a further 21 days of maceration, the wine is pressed and matures for 12-14 months in oak barrels.
Eruzione 1614 has a nice, glossy ruby red color. In the scent you will find nuances of red berries, a little kirsch, rose hips and exotic spices. The taste starts delicate and light, but develops towards the more masculine with the oxygenation in the glass. In the aftertaste you will find a good freshness and tannin, which will give the wine a maturation potential. Serve the wine with veal and pork, poultry or with cheese gratin vegetable dishes. Also try it with pasta or risotto dishes, preferably with herbs from the Mediterranean area.
Unpretentiously and with an almost cool naturalness, the Planeta family produces a veritable string of wines that have achieved star status on the international wine scene and are sold around the globe. From their six state-of-the-art Sicilian vineyards, they strive for the highest quality in their wines – wines that at the same time reflect Sicily’s “terroir” and thus the island’s slightly rough but beautiful nature.
The family tradition of viticulture goes back more than 300 years, but the current generation has added a whole new dimension to wine production in Sicily. The first 50 hectares have today become 350 hectares of vineyards, and the first Chardonnay from 1994 has been joined by Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon as well as local grapes such as Nero d’Avola, Frappato, Grecanico and Fiano. Most recently, their production of Etna wines has expanded the grape diversity with the two unique local grapes Nerello Mascalese and Carricante as well as Pinot Nero and Riesling.
From the family’s olive grove, which lies all the way to the Mediterranean, Planeta also produces an exquisite olive oil. Like the wines, it must be sold via allocations, because there is simply not enough wine and olive oil. The planet Planeta is hard to leave once you’ve landed on it!
In the same way that in the 1990s in Tuscany a new area on the west coast – Maremma – was almost “discovered”, in Sicily it has become clear what potential the Etna area, in the north-eastern part of the island, can offer. Both local Sicilian wine producers and well-known producers in other districts of Italy have embarked on a new adventure over the past 20 years. While most of the original vineyards in the area were on the northern and eastern slopes of the still active volcano Etna, many of the new vineyards have been planted on the southern slopes – and often quite far up the volcano (to about 1,200 m.a.s.l.).
Viticulture at Etna can be traced far back in history and is primarily due to perfect dark, volcanic soil types, good exposure to the sun and the high-altitude vineyards, which mean large temperature differences, longer maturation and thus more delicate and aromatic white and red wines. Etna got its DOC status in 1968 (approx. 950 ha, in 2018) and the legislation requires min. 60% of the Carricante grape for the whites, supplemented with e.g. Cataratto. Rosato and Rosso wines must be made at min. 80% Nerello Mascalese, supplemented with i.a. Nerello Cappuccio. DOC Etna also applies to both the white and red Spumante (min. 60% Nerello Mascalese). It is the red Etna wines that dominate with approx. 60% of production. Some of the wines produced outside DOC Etna are sold, among other things. such as DOC Sicilia or IGT Terre Siciliane.
