2019 Calderara Sottana

The 2019 Etna Rosso Calderara Sottana slowly blossoms in the glass, unfurling with a layered and deep display of black cherries, licorice camphor and pine. Further swirling unlocks balsam herbs, plum sauce and dusty rose. It rushes the palate with a wave of silken textures, filling the senses with red currants, blueberry and hints of candied citrus. Fine tannins emerge through the finale, previously masked by ripe inner fruits, making for a lightly structured finish. A salty flourish gives way to hints of graphite and black licorice that linger on and on. While I’m accustomed to Calderara Sottana being one of the more structured and backward wines from the Terre Nere portfolio, the 2019 possesses an early appeal that I find quite attractive. That said, there’s an underlying power here that only cellaring will unlock.