I Vigneri Rosso 2023

Wine Description for I Vigneri Rosso 2023 by I Vigneri di Salvo Foti

Colour & Appearance

Powerful ruby red with a dark, intense core – a wine that hints at its volcanic origins even in the glass.

Nose

Fascinatingly complex, this Etna wine oscillates between earthy minerality and opulent fruit. Sour cherries and red berries meet damsons and blackberries, underpinned by smoky notes of ash and cold lava. These are joined by morello cherries, redcurrants and a balsamic bouquet of wild herbs, tobacco and undergrowth. Spicy accents of sandalwood, rosemary and black pepper lend remarkable depth.

Palate

The attack is silky, then the true nature of this wine reveals itself: extremely taut, with a slender flow and tightly-woven tannins that give it razor-sharp contours. The dark, juicy fruit seems almost weightless, whilst fine-grained tannins gently structure. Despite highly oxidative vinification in the traditional palmento, it remains remarkably disciplined. Its vibrant acidity provides invigorating tension and drives the drinking flow – a modern old-schooler in the best sense.

Finish

Long, precise and characterised by mineral freshness, with lingering fruit notes and spicy complexity.

Terroir & Origin

The vines are rooted in the volcanic soils of Etna, trained in the traditional Alberello Etneo system, averaging 20 years old, with a vine density of 7,500 vines per hectare. The small parcels require purely manual work – mechanical cultivation is impossible.

Grape Variety & Vinification

90% Nerello Mascalese, 10% Nerello Cappuccio. Hand-harvested in October with strict selection. No destemming, first pressing by foot, eight-day maceration with stems. Spontaneous fermentation over eight to ten days, followed by six months‘ ageing in underground terracotta amphorae. Minimal sulphur addition before bottling, no temperature control or oak barrel ageing whatsoever. Bottling according to lunar phases.

Food Pairing Suggestions

Perfect with grilled lamb, ossobuco, game, braised beef or aged Pecorino cheeses. Also excellent with pasta alla Norma or Sicilian meat ragouts.

Special Features

A „forbidden wine“: its production according to ancient methods denies it Etna DOP classification and relegates it to simple Vino Rosso. Salvo Foti’s I Vigneri draws on the historic winegrowers‘ association „Maestranza dei Vigneri“ from 1435 – a living testament to the fact that craft and tradition can not only survive, but create identity.