Ayunta Metodo Ancestrale Rosato, Mt Etna

The Wine

'Ancestral' is the oldest method of creating sparkling wines in the world and is simpler than the approach used in Champagne (what the Italians call 'Metodo Classico'). With an Ancestrale wine, the bubble-generating fermentation occurs in the bottle just as it does in Champagne, but without any extended lees aging or disgorgement. Here, the wine is sealed prior to the completion of fermentation, and a slight spritz occurs in the bottle with the lees remaining in the bottle until served, at which time the buyer is wise to gently swirl the bottle - the aim is to pour a glass that looks similar to a slightly hazy IPA, a useful reference for any beer fan.

The Winery

Filippo Mangione came to the wine world from another career and made the switch when he fell in love with the vines in a vineyard in Etna owned by an old man who became his mentor. Filippo began by volunteering in the vineyard and ended up buying it from him, as the former owner had no heirs. Coming into an area like Etna, where the growers and producers are skeptical of outsiders, and, one might say, a bit closed off from them, found Filippo's sincere love of the land and infectious enthusiasm impossible to resist. He now counts many of his fellow producers as advisors and is honored to serve in the same capacity for many of them.

Filippo boot-strapped the development of the old Palmento, which looks more like a jigsaw puzzle than a production facility, always buying the best he could afford. He runs his small vineyard (~7acres but growing) of old vines (50 - 100 years old) planted in Etna's famed volcanic soils at about 2,100 feet of elevation. He defines his natural/sustainable approach as 'only grapes + time - we release our wines only once ready.'