Rori Parasiliti's old Nerello-Mascalese-vines, trained as Alberello, grow on a one-hectare plot in the Contrada (vineyard) Crasà on the northern slopes of Mount Etna. They provide him with grapes that have substance and depth, which he transforms into a radiant and subtle wine that can definitely be counted among the finest and most elegant in Italy.
The subsoil is obviously lava rock, although the soil in Contrada Crasà is older, softer and less rocky than in the other vineyards in Rori.
The "Alberello" is fermented spontaneously in cement cisterns. The wine is then aged in these cisterns for 13 months. The "Alberello" is not filtered and is minimally sulphurised.
Style
There are countless wine blogs in Italy. Many of them are really good. Sometimes so good that it's worth quoting them. On gustodivino.it, Rori's Alberello was described with so much passion that I'm reproducing it here, at least in part.
"Never loud, the wine waits a little until it tells you about itself... Each sip creates new emotions that become more and more appealing and complex; and without asking you or imposing itself on you, it invites you to keep drinking so that it can tell you something new straight away...
...Finishing the bottle is like finishing a book that you have devoured page by page - it leaves you with a subtle feeling of emptiness.
On the nose: elderflower & violets reminiscent of good Nebbiolo, rhubarb, a little ginger, aromatic spices, peat. Small red fruits are hinted at, but are not predominant. After a few rotations of the glass, aromas reminiscent of a walk in the woods among mountain pines come to the fore. You sense a morning freshness, the cold mist rising from the green of the woods towards the summit of Etna. The aftertaste is less mineral than expected, but still taut, with the characteristic caper notes (!) of the Nerello mascalese in the background. Overall, the "Alberello" is aristocratic and elegant, with a long, aromatic and finesse-rich finish."
Very Italian, very beautiful.
Data sheet
Grape varieties: Nerello Mascalese, vines up to 100 years old
Vineyard: Crasà
Harvest: by hand
Fermentation: spontaneous | wild yeasts, 3-week maceration
Ageing: 13 months in cement cisterns
Filtration: no
SO₂: 8 mg/litre
Alcohol content: 13.5% vol.
Closure: Natural cork
Drinking temperature: 16-18°C
Perfect drinking maturity: from now - 2035
Content and price per litre: 0.75 l/(€56/l)
Maxime: All winegrowers listed with Vinonudo work with compost, organic fertiliser and natural preparations in their vineyards and refrain from using herbicides, pesticides and artificial fertilisers.
