Terre Nere 2023 Etna Bianco Calderera Sottana

The Wine

This is a rich, mineral-laced white made from 100% Carricante grown in a single vineyard. The wine offers an interesting contrast to Terre Nere's regular Etna Bianco, which is a blend of four white grapes.

The vineyard is located in the contrada (a geographic concept in Etna about the size of a village) Calderara Sottana on the northern slopes of Mount Etna at elevations between ~2,000 and 2,200 feet. The soils are among the most geologically rare on Etna—formed 60,000 years ago by elliptical volcanic eruptions and composed of black basalt, pumice stone, and sand. The Carricante vines here range from 15 to 60 years old. 

Fermentation and aging take place in large 10-hectoliter French oak barrels (1,333 bottles worth or about 4 times as large as a basic wine barrel). The wine then spends 9 to 10 months on the lees for added mouthfeel and richness. The wine is certified organic, vegan, and lightly filtered. 

Tasting Notes: A captivating bouquet of hazelnuts, almonds, custard, yellow flowers, and dried apricot. The palate is very savory for a white wine, with salty minerals, tart garden fruits, and a brisk line of citrus and herbal notes that bring your nose back into the glass over and over, followed by just one more sip that is savored through the long and lingering finish featuring notes of lemon peel, mint, and mountain herbs.

Compared to Terre Nere’s other white cru, Santo Spirito, Calderara Sottana is more opulent, creamy, and volcanic—a wine of depth and masculine structure. 13% ABV. Only 500 cases produced.

This wine pairs beautifully with grilled or poached fish, shellfish, or white meats. For a tasting event, consider serving it with salt-baked whole fish, herb-roasted chicken, or risotto with lemon and fennel. It’s a wine that rewards patience and contemplation—structured for aging, yet luminous in youth.

The Winery

Tenuta delle Terre Nere, founded by Marco de Grazia, is a pioneering estate on Etna’s northern slope. Known for its scientific approach to terroir and its reverence for tradition, the estate produces both red and white crus that express the unique geology of each contrada. Calderara Sottana Bianco is part of the “Le Vigne Niche” series, a dream realized through decades of parcel-by-parcel vinification and soil study.