Vintage Character Alta Mora Etna Rosso DOC 2023 comes from Etna DOC on Sicily’s northern volcanic slopes, where Nerello Mascalese delivers one of Italy’s most compelling mountain-red expressions. The 2023 vintage is shaped by Etna’s high-altitude conditions and strong day-night temperature swings, which helped preserve freshness and aromatic lift while allowing the grapes to ripen with clarity rather than heaviness. Its distinctive origin lies in black lava-derived soils, old terracing, and vineyards spread across contrade on the volcano, a combination that gives the wine its trademark tension, savory minerality, and fine-boned structure.
Tasting Profile & Food Pairing In the glass, this is fragrant and precise, offering red cherry, wild strawberry, blood orange, rose, and violet, with hints of pepper, dried herbs, ash, and crushed stone. The palate is medium-bodied and energetic, with bright acidity, refined tannins, and a lifted, mineral finish that feels more Burgundian in shape than Mediterranean in weight. It pairs beautifully with grilled lamb chops, mushroom risotto, or roast duck breast.
Winery Background Alta Mora is the Etna project of the Cusumano family, created to spotlight the singular identity of Mount Etna through indigenous varieties and carefully chosen high-elevation sites. The estate farms in multiple contrade on the northern face of the volcano, with a strong focus on sustainable viticulture and hand harvesting suited to Etna’s steep, terraced vineyards. In the cellar, the aim is transparency over excess: gentle extraction, controlled fermentation, and measured élevage that preserves perfume, texture, and volcanic nuance, making Alta Mora a polished modern reference point for Etna Rosso.