One of a tiny handful of Mondeuse-based wines made in Italy, L’Ardenza offers plump, dark tones, combined with ripe fruit and dense richness. Because this wine originates from Mount Etna, it is also redolent of black soil and crushed minerals.——M.L.(4/1/2012)—— 88

The 2006 L’Ardenza (100% Mondeuse) is a dark, vibrant wine bursting with dark fruit, spices and new leather. This is a decidedly larger-scaled wine than the Etna Rosso and the expression of fruit here tends towards the jammy, opulent end of the spectrum. The balance is impeccable today, yet the wine should be even better in a year or two. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2014. Cottanera, owned by the Cambria family, is another of the emerging young estates on the Etna. Consulting oenologist Lorenzo Landi oversees winemaking. Importer: Banville & Jones Wine Merchants, New York, NY; tel. (204) 294-4899

L’Ardenza is a unique example of Mondeuse from Mt. Etna. The wine is rich and penetrating with lingering tones of wild berry, spice and background mineral notes. It offers a smooth, but rich sensation in the mouth.——M.L.(12/1/2009)—— 88

Concentrated black cherry bouquet. Very full and fruity but not sweet and jammy. A most intriguing wine.