Pietradolce Etna Rosso Vigna Barbagalli 2016 750ml

Always one of my favorite wines from Etna, the 2016 Etna Rosso Barbagalli represents another terrific installment to this top-shelf expression from Michele Faro and the team at Pietradolce. From ancient pre-Phylloxera vines in a small amphitheater-shaped vineyard near the highest part of the appellation, this wine is marked by a subtle softness and richness of texture that you don’t always find in high-altitude old vines. The wine demonstrates, without a shadow of doubt, that these vines still have loads of energy and electricity running though that old wood. I like to imagine that the vines’ root systems tap into the heart of the volcano, soaking up that enormous power and intensity and delivering it to your glass.