2008 Terre Nere Etna Rosso Santo Spirito*

The 2008 Etna Rosso Santo Spirito is dark, inviting and exceptionally polished. The big tannins are there, but here there is so much sheer density in the fruit that the wine's structural components are barely noticeable. This shows marvelous intensity all the way through to the dark, harmonious finish. Licorice, tar, and smoke add the final dimensions of complexity. The Santo Spirito was aged in a combination of French oak barrique, tonneau and cask, in roughly equal proportions. This is one of the more sensual of the 2008s here.