The Biondi story is far from a new one. The family has been making wine since the 1500s and has made wine in the Etna area since the 1800s. The modern era began in 1999, when Ciro and his wife establish a new cellar on the southeast slope of the volcano. Much of Mount Etna’s recent wine praise focuses on the north side of the volcano, where the bigger name producers are, but historically, the south side was higher-ranking. The main stylistic difference between the two areas is structure — bigger, darker wines on the north side and softer, lighter wines on the south side. So, if you like the prettier, more pale-in-color, Pinot-like styles of Etna Rosso, than Ciro Biondi is your guy.

The 2019 “Outis” bottling is 80% Nerello Mascalese with a whopping 20% of Nerello Cappuccio. The heavy dose of Cappuccio adds-in the white pepper and cardamom spice aromatics, an exotic complement to the hallmark, silky red fruits of Mascalese. Aged in neutral barrels, with no fining nor filtration, don’t be deceived by the wine’s faint color. This is one of the most authentic expressions of a volcanic red wine with its fine, feathery palate and very long finish. Gifting and decanting recommended. ~Allegra A