Montedolce | Giovanni Rosso

Giovanni Rosso is actually one of the most famous Barolo producers in Piedmont. The family business from Serralunga d'Alba is over a hundred years old and developed from a grape producer to an absolute top wine estate in the 1990s. The company was also one of the first in the region to completely abandon the use of chemicals in the vineyard, which has definitely paid off in view of the outstanding quality of the wine.

Today, the fourth-generation winery run by Davide Rosso also produces on the other side of Italy – in Sicily. Fascinated by unique terroirs, Davide decided in 2016 to dedicate himself to a new oenological challenge in Solicchiata in Castiglione di Sicilia. He now owns a 14-hectare vineyard on the north-eastern slopes of the Etna volcano, of which almost seven hectares are planted with old Sicilian vines.

"I love working there, it's like a new family", says Davide Rosso about his second vineyard in the province of Catania at the foot of Montedolce, a small extinct crater that gives the contrada its name. At 750 metres above sea level, the winegrower cultivates five and a half hectares of the dark berry grape variety Nerello Mascalese and almost two hectares of the white Carricante. When cultivating the volcanic vines organically, he does not use chemical pesticides or fertilisers and thus uncompromisingly follows the same guidelines as on his vineyard in Piedmont.

Making wines that remain as true as possible to their home region is Davide's motto for his Barolo wines, which he learnt years earlier during his training in Burgundy. The dark lava sand of Sicily, from which the vines absorb minerals, and the unique microclimate offer ideal conditions for creating wines characterised by terroir, which is why Davide's desire to take on this new challenge is absolutely understandable.

The Carricante grapes are harvested by hand in October at the same time as the Nerello Mascalese and then pressed in the small wine cellar. Alcoholic fermentation in steel vats takes around ten days and the subsequent ageing period is adjusted from vintage to vintage. The Montedolce project is therefore constantly evolving, although the white and red wines are already excellent.

From the dense Barolo from the picturesque countryside around Serralunga d'Alba to the juicy volcanic wines from the lava-spitting Etna – the name Giovanni Rosso offers a truly impressive variety from north to south, which we did not want to miss out on in our range. SUPERIORE.DE