Eduardo Acosta Versante Nord Rosso 2021
Grapes here are pulled from a jigsaw puzzle of six different small parcels on the north slope ('Versante Nord') at elevations ranging from 550 to 850 meters. Averaging over 50 years old, the vines are planted in alberello (bush training) in sandy, ashy soils; varieties are interplanted and include a preponderance of Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio, as well as smatterings of Alicante, Garnacha, and other reds (plus many white varieties). Eduardo reported that 2021 was the first really hot summer for him on Etna – temps reaching temps of 41 Celsius – but one they were able to manage well, maintaining canopy cover and shade for the grapes; the positive side of this warm year was that no treatment was necessary in the vineyard. Mid-September saw a temperature drop that helped us slow down the ripening of the grapes, ensuring concentration and maturity without losing that high-elevation acidity and tension. A mineral blast of old-vine fruit, combined with elevage in concrete tanks and a degree of whole-cluster inclusion, results in a brilliant recipe for an Etna red that deftly balances power with perfume and refinement. A seductive current of Morello cherries, charred violets, roasted plums, licorice, wild mountain herbs, black raspberry and crushed black rock pulses through the wine, set against clean, dusty tannin and leading to a fresh, amaro-like finish. ‘Versante Nord; Rosso is the largest bottling from Eduuardo's overall very small production.
Eduardo Torres Acosta, a young winemaker from the Canary Islands, first began working with vines in his native (and equally volcanic) home of Tenerife, where his father, a local postman, owned a small parcel of land. The 2012 vintage saw Eduardo uproot his life and shift to Sicily, interning at the now famed property of Arianna Occhipinti. Soon thereafter Eduardo was offered the position of head enologist at Azienda Passopisciaro, considered by many as one of the leading pioneers of ‘new-wave’ Etna wine of the past decade. Despite Eduardo’s ‘outsider’ status, he endeavored in forging his own path, renting and farming several parcels on the north side of Etna, and bottling his first commercial vintage in 2014. While working originally and with very little cellar intervention, there is no formulaic recipe for Eduardo’s winemaking. ‘My vinification depends on the vintage,’ says Eduardo. The harvest date usually depends on altitude, and only the single vineyard wines are vinified separately. ‘I am trying to translate each vineyard and each vintage in different ways,’ he says. Though the properties he works with are located firmly on the slopes of Sicily’s famed volcano, the grapes are harvested but then transported to and vinified on the Occhipinti estate in Vittoria, thus the wines, while technically being very much so, do not carry the Etna Rosso name.
Shipping Policy
Due to the restrictions of many state laws, we only ship wine to those states where direct shipment from a retailer is permitted by law; currently we ship to AK, CA, DC, ID, LA, MO, NE, NV, NH, NM, ND, OR, VA, WV and WY. This list is subject to change without notice. In addition, each state imposes limitations on the amount of wine any particular resident may receive by direct shipment. To ensure that you are able to order wine for direct shipment from our website, please consult the specific state requirements for your state.
Please note that all orders must be placed by persons who are at least 21 years old, and that age verification will be required upon receipt of your wine. No wine will be delivered to obviously intoxicated persons and any person unable to provide age verification will forfeit their right to receive the shipment until identification is produced. In such circumstances, the order may either be held in storage at a local depot of the shipping company until appropriate identification is produced, or shipped back to the winery. All associated costs will be the responsibility of and be charged to the customer.
Title to, and ownership of, all wine passes from Biondivino to the purchaser in the State of California and the purchaser takes all responsibility for shipping it from California to his/her home state. By arranging for transportation of the wine, Biondivino is providing a service to, and acting on behalf of the purchaser. By utilizing this service from Biondivino, purchaser is representing that he/she is acting in compliance with his/her local and state laws regarding the purchase, transportation and delivery of wine. The purchaser represents that he/she has obtained any required permission, paid any required fees, is working through properly licensed intermediaries where required, is legally entitled to take possession of wine and is legally entitled to take quantities ordered.
You will be charged the applicable sales tax, if any, assessed by your state for any shipment that Biondivino makes; otherwise California sales tax will be assessed on the sale. Shipping and handling costs are not included in the cost and will appear in the shopping cart before you complete your transaction. The carrier and service speed may vary by state and time of year, and Biondivino cannot take responsibility for the condition of any wine shipped by Ground.
Some of our products are sold on a "pre-arrival" or "futures" basis. These products are explicitly indicated as "pre-arrivals" or "futures" on our Website and newsletter. Biondivino will notify you by email when your "pre-arrivals" or "futures" have arrived and are ready to be shipped. You will be given the opportunity to coordinate the proper shipping address and method (we won't automatically ship out pre-arrival wines when they arrive).
Shipping Policy
Due to the restrictions of many state laws, we only ship wine to those states where direct shipment from a retailer is permitted by law; currently we ship to AK, CA, DC, ID, LA, MO, NE, NV, NH, NM, ND, OR, VA, WV and WY. This list is subject to change without notice. In addition, each state imposes limitations on the amount of wine any particular resident may receive by direct shipment. To ensure that you are able to order wine for direct shipment from our website, please consult the specific state requirements for your state.
Please note that all orders must be placed by persons who are at least 21 years old, and that age verification will be required upon receipt of your wine. No wine will be delivered to obviously intoxicated persons and any person unable to provide age verification will forfeit their right to receive the shipment until identification is produced. In such circumstances, the order may either be held in storage at a local depot of the shipping company until appropriate identification is produced, or shipped back to the winery. All associated costs will be the responsibility of and be charged to the customer.
Title to, and ownership of, all wine passes from Biondivino to the purchaser in the State of California and the purchaser takes all responsibility for shipping it from California to his/her home state. By arranging for transportation of the wine, Biondivino is providing a service to, and acting on behalf of the purchaser. By utilizing this service from Biondivino, purchaser is representing that he/she is acting in compliance with his/her local and state laws regarding the purchase, transportation and delivery of wine. The purchaser represents that he/she has obtained any required permission, paid any required fees, is working through properly licensed intermediaries where required, is legally entitled to take possession of wine and is legally entitled to take quantities ordered.
You will be charged the applicable sales tax, if any, assessed by your state for any shipment that Biondivino makes; otherwise California sales tax will be assessed on the sale. Shipping and handling costs are not included in the cost and will appear in the shopping cart before you complete your transaction. The carrier and service speed may vary by state and time of year, and Biondivino cannot take responsibility for the condition of any wine shipped by Ground.
Some of our products are sold on a "pre-arrival" or "futures" basis. These products are explicitly indicated as "pre-arrivals" or "futures" on our Website and newsletter. Biondivino will notify you by email when your "pre-arrivals" or "futures" have arrived and are ready to be shipped. You will be given the opportunity to coordinate the proper shipping address and method (we won't automatically ship out pre-arrival wines when they arrive).