The 2014 Etna Rosso Rovittello was going through a phase in which it was slightly shut down when I tasted it. This Etna field blend of 90% Nerello Mascalese and 10% Nerello Cappuccio is fermented in stainless steel with the ambient yeast and aged in large oak casks for 20 months. Fruit comes from a single vineyard on the east side of the volcano at 750 meters above sea level. The vines are planted on their original root stock. This precious wine offers an elegantly slimmed-down mouthfeel with polished tannins and fresh acidity. Wild cherry, licorice, tar and smoke appear on the close. Some 6,000 bottles were made.

The 2013 Etna Rosso Rovittello is 90% Nerello Mascalese and 10% Nerello Cappuccio from vineyards in the Contrade Dafara and Galluzzo in the Rovittello subzone of Castiglione di Sicilia. This is a beautiful wine from the Benanti family and one of my favorite wines of the bunch. The finish is silky and long, and this vintage exhibits a very concise and clear sense of aromatic and tannic precision. Elegant mineral tones appear on the long, silky finish. This was a difficult vintage, and the wine is more streamlined and sharp as a result. But it should hold well in your cellar.

Nerello Mascalese and a smaller part Nerello Cappuccino (about 10%) are planted up to 750 meters above sea level in head-trained or alberello bushes. The 2012 Etna Rosso Rovittello shows an impressive level of depth and complexity that is presented immediately. The wine boasts a mild garnet color and luminous ruby highlights. The bouquet reveals wild berry, grilled herb, lavender bud and toasted chestnut. The mouthfeel is lean and tight, with firm tannins and a fresh, tonic finish.