I Vigneri Rosso 2025

Wine description for I Vigneri Rosso 2025 by I Vigneri di Salvo Foti

Colour & appearance

A transparent ruby red that captures the light with purplish reflections – bright and translucent like a young Pinot Noir, yet with the subtle depth that only volcanic soils can impart.

Nose

The bouquet unfolds in the glass to reveal an almost cathedral-like complexity: ethereal balsamic notes hover above dark forest fruits, accompanied by earthy nuances and gentle spices. The distinctive spiciness arises from deliberate exposure to oxygen during vinification – an olfactory portrait of Etna that is constantly evolving and revealing new facets.

Palate

Silky on entry with filigree phenolics and fine-grained tannins that develop a remarkable grip despite the wine’s transparent appearance. The lively fruit dances across the tongue, whilst a slightly grippy texture provides structure on the palate. At a pleasing 13% ABV and served at 14 degrees, it flows with exhilarating momentum, proving beyond doubt: Old School is Gold School.

Finish

Long and saline-mineral, with a persistent freshness reminiscent of cooled lava, cleansing the palate in preparation for the next sip.

Terroir & origin

The vines are rooted at altitudes of up to 1,200 metres in black, mineral-rich soils composed of cooled lava, volcanic ash and sand on Mount Etna. Here, on Europe’s highest active volcano, the vines are trained in the traditional alberello system – a UNESCO World Heritage bush vine training method using neither wires nor concrete posts, only chestnut stakes sourced from the mountain itself. This extreme site endows the wine with its unmistakable, almost saline freshness.

Grape varieties & vinification

A blend of 90% Nerello Mascalese and 10% Nerello Cappuccio from vines averaging 20 years of age. Vinified in the historic palmento – the traditional Sicilian wine press – without temperature control or wooden cask ageing. The grapes are foot-trodden, macerated for eight days with skins and stems, and fermented spontaneously with wild yeasts. Maturation lasts six months underground in terracotta amphorae, before the wine is minimally sulphured and bottled according to the lunar cycle.

Food pairings

This Rosso calls for the robust cuisine of Sicily: wild boar ragù with rosemary, grilled lamb chops with black olives or Pasta alla Norma with aubergines and ricotta salata. It also reveals its full stature alongside hard Pecorino from Etna and smoked tuna.

Special characteristics

A forbidden wine: because Salvo Foti eschews all technical intervention and works according to ancient methods, this Rosso deliberately forgoes the Etna DOP classification and presents itself simply as a Vino Rosso. Vinification in the historic palmento, amphora ageing and adherence to the lunar calendar make it an authentic testament to Sicilian wine culture – unfiltered, untamed and possessed of a vitality that could only spring from the black volcanic sands of Etna.