Tenuta delle Terre Nere Cru Guardiola Etna Rosso DOC 2020

Tenuta delle Terre Nere Cru Guardiola Etna Rosso DOC 2020

Of all the Guardiola crus is the one with the highest altitude, from 800 to 1,000 meters, at the extreme edge of the DOC. And of course, the higher you ascend, the more depleted the soil becomes. And Guardiola is no exception: lean soils composed mostly of volcanic sand, basaltic crushed stone, and traces of ash. And equally naturally the steepness increases, and the terracing, to compensate, narrows. Viticulture becomes all forcedly manual and singularly difficult. Altitude exacerbates acidities in wines, lean soils accentuate tannins. Complete maturation becomes essential. Production per hectare must be lowered. Somehow our Guardiola is particularly attractive. Always the most closed and difficult wine, sometimes unbalanced when young, it still remains a favorite. It will be its intensity, like the tension in the snap of a spring, or its almost ruthless purity; or its austere, rigorous minerality. Possibly because a character of great power and originality flows from the whole. Of all the crus, it is the one that requires the most time to relax and express itself. The backbone yields tension, the tannins soften, the authority and vigor remain. Braised meats, stews, rabbit cacciatore, hare civet, finanziera, spit-roasted livers, sausages and beans all’uccelletto.