Tenuta Ballasanti Sicilia Rosso 2023
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The Land
Nerello Mascalese built its reputation on the northern slopes of Etna, where basalt soils and high altitude produce wines of structure and age-worthiness. This bottle comes from the eastern foot of the volcano, on different terrain at a lower elevation. The Temerario vineyard sits at approximately 400 meters in Contrada Ricceri Ciapparo, San Giovanni Montebello, in the municipality of Giarre, just outside the Etna DOC boundary. That geography is the reason the label reads Sicilia DOC rather than Etna DOC: the boundary is bureaucratic, but the volcanic identity of the soil is the same. Permeable volcanic earth rich in potassium and iron, the same Ionian Sea breezes that keep disease pressure low across the eastern slope, and alberello bush vines working soils their roots have known for generations.
The Wine
100% Nerello Mascalese, trained as single-trunk alberello with three branches, following organic farming principles. Two-thirds of the harvest is destemmed and pressed; one-third goes into tank as whole clusters, where partial carbonic maceration encourages fresh, aromatic fruit expression. The wine ferments and undergoes malolactic in stainless steel and ages entirely in tank with no wood contact. The 2023 vintage across Sicily was defined by peronospora, a fungal disease triggered by a wet spring that slashed yields by 25 to 35 percent across the island. What survived was concentrated and precise. The result here is ruby red with violet hues: strawberry, raspberry, white flowers, and a touch of dark grape skin, with a soft, fresh palate and mild tannin that makes the wine immediately approachable.
The People
Tenute Ballasanti is the project of Manuela Seminara and her husband Fabio Gualandris. Manuela's family has farmed this hillside above the Ionian Sea for generations: her great-grandfather Don Lorenzo sold wine to French merchants; her grandfather Don Angelo cultivated citrus, olives, chestnuts, and vines across the same volcanic slopes. Manuela spent years working in the semiconductor industry in Brussels and then Milan but never permanently left. She and Fabio eventually reunified the dispersed family properties, bringing in Piedmontese winemaker Luca Caramellino to work with them. The estate now covers 19 total hectares across three distinct sites, Tenace, Sublime, and Temerario, producing seven labels, all farmed organically. The Sicilia DOC is dedicated to their son Lorenzo, and the name captures the wine's character: cheerful, direct, and unabashedly Sicilian.
Food Pairing
Partial carbonic maceration and zero wood contact make this unusually fresh and food-friendly for a red. Grilled swordfish with capers and Sicilian olives, eggplant caponata on bruschetta, a simple pasta al pomodoro with fresh basil, or a summer antipasto with cured meats and marinated vegetables all suit it. Serve slightly chilled. The kind of bottle that belongs on a table rather than in a cellar.
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Sicily, Italy’s largest island, blends ancient wine traditions with a fresh wave of modern creativity. Its star red grape, Nero d’Avola, thrives in the island’s warm, sun-soaked climate, producing intensely flavored wines with dark fruit and a hint of savory spice. Along the western coast lies the historic heartland of Marsala, a fortified wine prized for both sweet and dry styles. Rising above the island’s varied landscapes is Mount Etna, an active volcano whose mineral-rich soils and cooler elevations result in elegantly structured reds and nuanced whites. From coast to crater, Sicily’s wine culture is as diverse and vibrant as the region itself.
Italy - Sicily
Named for its pale color and hometown of Mascali, Nerello Mascalese is a rising star in the wine world. Indigenous to Mount Etna, it was overlooked for decades until recently the world has taken notice of the elegant yet powerfully minerally wines produced on the volcanic slopes. Think halfway between Pinot Noir and Nebbiolo.
