Emilio Sciacca Etna Rosso Rossobrillo Beat 2020

Emilio Sciacca founded his tiny Etna estate in 2015 after acquiring a vineyard and historic palmento in Contrada Martinella near Linguaglossa on Etna’s northern slope. The first commercial harvest came in 2018. Today he works roughly two hectares between Linguaglossa in the north and high elevation vineyards near Biancavilla on the southern slope. Farming follows organic principles without certification, using primarily sulfur and copper treatments, no irrigation and hand harvesting. Fermentations are spontaneous with indigenous yeasts, sulfur use is minimal, and the wines are neither fined nor filtered.

Rossobrillo BEAT 2020 is a special, more structured interpretation of the estate’s regular Rossobrillo, bringing together fruit from high elevation southern vineyards with nerello mascalese from Etna’s northern slope. The blend is approximately 80% nerello mascalese and 20% nerello cappuccio, a considerably larger cappuccio component than the standard bottling. The volcanic vineyards sit roughly 600 to 700 meters above sea level and include both younger plantings and mature alberello vines. BEAT receives a longer skin maceration than Rossobrillo, giving it additional color, tannin and depth while retaining Sciacca’s low intervention approach. Fermentation is spontaneous, and the wine is bottled unfiltered with minimal sulfur; the élevage is deliberately neutral rather than oak driven.

The 2020 shows red cherry, wild strawberry and darker berry fruit with violet, dried herbs, pepper and volcanic earth. The additional nerello cappuccio gives the palate more flesh and darker fruit, while nerello mascalese contributes freshness, fine tannins and a distinctly mineral profile. The finish is savory, lightly smoky and energetic rather than heavy.