Red fire and passion

LE SABBIE DELL'ETNA

Etna DOC

Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccio

Le Sabbie dell’Etna Rosso, together with its white variant, is the forerunner of Firriato’s many decades of wine production on Etna. Wines from the Cavanera Etnea Estate form part of the elite by birth and are dedicated to exclusivity. They are labels considered for and dedicated to the most demanding wine-lovers. Le Sabbie dell’Etna Rosso comes to the glass with a delicious and complex bouquet with notes of cinnamon, black pepper, blackcurrant and cherries in alcohol. Only the extraordinary terroir of Castiglione di Sicilia, on the slopes of Europe’s largest active volcano, could yield a wine with such great personality. The estate’s volcanic soils are distinguished by their high nutrient content of phosphorous, which determines the sugar content in the must; manganese, which increases the plants’ resistance to the cold; and iron, which contributes to the black grapes’ pigmentation, giving the native vine varieties of Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio their bright ruby red colour.

Le Sabbie dell’Etna Rosso, together with its white variant, is the forerunner of Firriato’s many decades of wine production on Etna. Wines from the Cavanera Etnea Estate form part of the elite by birth and are dedicated to exclusivity. They are labels considered for and dedicated to the most demanding wine-lovers.


  • Appellation: Etna DOC
  • Vine:  Nerello Cappuccio, Nerello Mascalese
  • Terroir: mountain
  • Soil: Loamy – sandy of volcanic origin, highly draining
  • Exposure: north-east  (700 mt. a.s.l)
SENSORIAL PROFILE & WINEMAKING
SENSORIAL PROFILE & WINEMAKING

Production Area

Cavanera Etnea

The north-eastern slope of Etna, where the Cavanera Estate is located, has predominantly sandy soil, composed of extremely fine particles that give it a loose structure, marked by its considerable fertility and high concentration of nutrients.

About wine

Le Sabbie dell’Etna Rosso

Federico Lombardo di Monte Iato, Marketing & Communications Manager of Firriato, tells us about Le Sabbie dell’Etna Rosso, one of Firriato’s iconic wines on Etna. Blend of the two most important native black grape varieties of Etna, Nerello Mascalese (90%) and Nerello Cappuccio (10%), Le Sabbie dell’Etna Rosso is proposed as a red wine with mineral hints typical of the Volcano but with very interesting notes of small red fruits and final notes of licorice and black pepper.

THE WINE IN 3 WORDS: Lively, Harmonious, Balanced.

CURIOSITY: Le Sabbie dell’Etna Rosso is the pioneer, together with its variant in White, of Firriato’s decades-long presence on Etna. The claim, Red fire and passion, summarizes the characteristics of this wine: red like its color but also like the fire of the highest active volcano in Europe, passion for the commitment and seriousness that characterizes Firriato in his search for excellence.

Le Sabbie dell'Etna Rosso

Etna and Nerello Mascalese, a thousand-year old union

The Spanish viceroyalty of Sicily coincided with Charles V ascension to the Spanish throne in 1516, and it is he who is thought to be responsible for the spread of Nerello Mascalese. Together with Niccolò Caracciolo, the Bishop of Catania, he decided to transform Piana di Mascali in Contea and one of the first steps he took was to place the land owned by the Curia at the disposal of the vine growers. Nerello vines, therefore, started to spread across the Etna countryside and today, thanks to their organoleptic properties and ageing capability, they are the emblem for oenology performed on the slopes of Etna.

LE SABBIE DELL'ETNA ROSSO

The characteristics of vintages

LE SABBIE DELL'ETNA ROSSO

Awards

Paired with

Beef tartare with seasonal vegetables pureed soup and Dijone mustard in grains

Prepare the vegetables for the garnish. Skip the carrots and courgettes along with the spring onion rings. Slice the tomato and rinse the mixed salad leaves. Keep aside

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Firriato Winery, Authentic Terroir