Vino di Anna "Palmentino" Rosso 2022

Press 4 Red • May 2024 Direct Press Selection

Anna Martens, originally from Australia, trained as an oenologist, but her husband Eric Narioo, from France, pushed her towards the more natural side of winemaking. Anna and Eric made their first wine together on Mount Etna in 2008. In 2010, the couple purchased their first vineyard of old vine Nerello Mascalese in Contrada Crasà, along with a neighboring, derelict palmento, the stone structure used in traditional Etna winemaking for centuries. They now work around seven hectares of vines using biodynamic practices and adding as little sulfur as possible, often none. The vines range from 60-100 years old and are planted anywhere from 2100 to almost 4000 feet of elevation.

The Palmentino Rosso 2022 is a blend of several micro-vinifications of organically farmed Nerello Mascalese (92%), picked as field blends along with Nerello Cappuccio (2%), Grenache (3%) and the indigenous white varieties of Mt Etna; Carricante, Grecanico, Minnella Bianca (5%). All of the grapes were hand harvested from old bush vines grown on terraces, at high altitudes on the northern slopes of Mt Etna. 60% of the grapes were destemmed by hand and the remaining 40% are whole cluster.

The Palmentino Rosso burst out of the glass with fresh aromas of cherries, red flowers, light herbs, and a hint of sumac. This is a complex yet satisfying young wine with ripe and present tannin, great minerality, ripe cherry fruit, a hint of black tea, and a nice herbaceous note. Chill it and enjoy with a light pasta dish or bruschetta.

-Jeremy Hernandez