Aetneus Etna Rosso I Custodi delle Vigne dell'Etna 2008

Aetneus Etna Rosso I Custodi, natural wine, organic wine, Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccio, Alicante, very old vines (some 150 years old), low yields, seriously structured and savoury red wine. The top Cuvee from I Custodi is a veritable 'Vin de Garde'. Like Barolo or serious Brunello, this is a wine to keep and really not to touch for a good 10 years. The current 2009 is just starting to come into its own and show is style and smooth supple dark fruits, tobacco, dried herbs, spices and minerals. The savoury undertones of the wine are magnificent, outstanding got Roast Hog and Spuds, done over vine shoots of course.

I Custodi delle Vigne di Etna are exactly that, custodians of Mount Etna, of a dangerous yet noble land and tradition. Mount Etna is a 'Terroir' of extremes. To witness a full eruption, even from afar (speaking from personal experience here after studying for a year in Catania and seeing first hand a large eruption which tumbled millions of tons of Lava into the Valle del Bove and actually also took several houses with it too) is an awe inspiring spectacle. This is the sun soaked, breezy land of Southern France or the gentle days of summers in the Loire, this is extreme climate wine making. Etna can see metres of snow in winter, very high winds and scorching days in summer that end in 20 degree drops in temperature and violent thunder storms. The wines are also extreme, displaying a hard firm structure as if the grapes have toughened themselves to the mountain. I Custodi work according to natural principles, no chemicals, horses, man power, as it always has been. The vines are on restored lava stone terraces, vines planted very tightly together, following the tradition, (some vines are over 100 years old and have this same density of planting which protects the vines from the weather and keeps down the yields). The most special thing about the wines of Custodi are the workers, 'I Vigneri' are special group of vineyard workers who in the mid 15th Century formed a guild to promote and preserve the traditional techniques of working with the vines on Etna. This knowledge and culture was in danger of being lost until Salvo Foti revived the Guild of the Vigneri about 20 years ago and today under his guidance, I Vigneri continue to work in the traditional (natural) way of their ancestors and pass on the knowledge to a new generation of wine men in Sicily. A great story which underlines the quality of this winery and its wines. Try them, they are also simply lovely to drink.