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Massimilano Calabretta is practically Biondivino family! He and his ethereal Etna wines are about as near and dear to our hearts as people and wines go within these walls....
As recent times have seem Etna's celebrity star rise and rise, along with it has come a huge influx of international investment and modernization, yet Massimiliano's wines seem to harken back to an old-school, old world traditionalism that we rarely have the chance to glimpse these days.
Unique among his Etna peers in that he releases his wines only after extensive aging in botte grande and then bottle, his releases are often six to eight years behind most other producers on the volcano, with many of them drawing fruit from 80-100+ year old vines on original rootstocks from some of Etna's top sub-zones.
There is an old Nebbiolo-like profile to the estate's red wines; the aromas are steeped in dried cherries, tar, licorice, and hints of ashy/volcanic soil tones, with a cool-climate freshness and delineation that recalls a mature Barolo, northern Rhone or even a sturdier, earthier red Burg. His elusive Carricante retains such a zen like drive and precision that it makes hard to believe the wine sneaks in under $50 a bottle, let along under $30!
These are wines that are all at once meditative, challenging and supremely delicious, and given the impeccable provenance and built in maturation, these are also wines that represent some of the most terrific value juice on our shelves.
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