The I Custodi 2013 Etna Rosso Riserva Saeculare is a wine that stands out in this report. The bouquet is elegant and fine. The wine has evidently had ample time to flesh out and find balance with bottle aging. The tannins are silky and supple in texture. It drinks nicely right now, and there's no need to wait further. The blend has 80% Nerello Mascalese, but this Riserva also sees smaller percentages of Nerello Cappuccio, Alicante and other complementary grapes in the blend. These are ancient plants, a natural treasure to behold, with some vines reaching an almost unthinkable 250 years in age (on their original root stocks, of course) at 650 meters in elevation on the volcano. The wine ages slowly in tonneaux for four years and only 3,300 bottles of this precious wine exist.

This a powerful and brawny blend of mostly Nerello Mascalese with Nerello Cappuccio and Alicante (Grenache) that shows the grace and sophistication if its age. From a warm and sunny vintage, the 2012 Etna Rosso Riserva Saeculare is a dark and exuberant expression with a thick offering of ripe fruit, prune, dried blackberry, spice and campfire ash. This wine sits firmly on the palate with a winning combination of minerality and sun-ripened fruit. The best part is that the wine is never heavy or overdone. It packs a powerful punch but with a silken glove. All the fruit comes from ancient vines in the Contrada Feudo di Mezzo. A mere 2,100 bottles exist.