Description
Eduardo Torres Acosta, “Versante Nord” Rosso
We surged into 2022 with a head of steam and we’re maintaining the pace on this fine Sunday with our very own “Sicilian Showdown,” where a couple of exceptional and very distinct organic thoroughbreds will face off for supremacy. Leading off is a smoking new vintage of “Versante Nord” from one of Mount Etna’s hottest new producers.
Suffice it to say that a quiet working-class kid from the far-flung Canary Islands—where we had the great pleasure of meeting him—doesn’t become a globally celebrated wine sensation overnight unless he’s seriously talented. Fortunately for Eduardo Torres Acosta, every vine and wine he touches seemingly morphs into gold, which is why today’s startlingly delicious and highly sophisticated red is holding court on lauded wine lists across the globe. This bottle proves that not all Etna Rosso need be an homage to the burly, tannic reds of mainland Italy. On the contrary, today’s “Versante Nord,” decorated with an eye-popping grayscale label, is a love letter to the seductive perfume and nuanced complexities of fine red Burgundy, sealed with an indelible kiss of Sicily’s profound volcanic terroir. In short, it’s a stunning wine, a fittingly epic introduction to Mount Etna’s newest young star, and a rare opportunity to experience the top work of an elite terroir…for $39! NOTE: I’ve tasted the last four vintages of this spectacular wine and today’s 2019 is by far the crème de la crème.
The quiet son of a grape-farming postman on the Canary Island of Tenerife, Eduardo arrived in Sicily without much fanfare in 2012. But soon thereafter, he was interning under the wing of Sicilian wine icon Arianna Occhipinti. Two years later, he was lending his preternatural talents to Passopisciaro, one of the most globally recognized names in Sicily. Another year later, and Eduardo could be found farming his own vineyards high up in the exclusive, notoriously anti-outsider vineyards of Mount Etna. I have no idea how he achieved all this in a mere three years, but by the time his first harvest wrapped up, Eduardo was creating an even louder buzz while vinifying grapes in the cellar of his new flame/former mentor Arianna Occhipinti. Eduardo’s first vintage sold out upon release and the rest is history!
Today’s electrifying red says “IGT Terre Siciliane” on the label, but don’t be fooled by the nomenclature. To be clear: this is 100% organic Mount Etna fruit, but because Eduardo vinified further south in the appellation of Vittoria, it is not legally allowed to be labeled “Etna Rosso.” But there’s certainly no mistaking Etna’s deep-fruited, intensely volcanic terroir in every sip of this wine. Grapes are culled from various parcels perched on the north slope (“versante nord”) at elevations ranging from 1,800-3,000 feet. These vineyards are planted mostly to Nerello Mascalese with a minority percentage of other ancient local grapes. This mineral blast of old-vine fruit, combined with vinification in concrete and partial stem inclusion, equals a brilliant recipe for an Etna red that deftly balances power with perfume and refinement. Eduardo bottles the wine without fining or filtration only after 16 months in a combination of old barriques and concrete tanks.
Eduardo Torres’ 2019 “Versante Nord” cascades into a large Burgundy stem (avoid “APs”!) with a lustrous, crimson wave and brings with it a seductive current of Morello cherries, charred violets, roasted plums, licorice, wild mountain herbs, black raspberry, crushed black rock, and a powerful volcanic imprint that’s endemic only to Mount Etna’s top real estate. On the medium-plus-bodied palate, there’s a fine-grained tannic structure and textural complexity that deepens each berry-laden layer and enhances the kiss of savoriness on the finish. It’s a brilliant exercise in balance, sophistication, and class; a red for those who love to sip warm-vintage village-level Burgundy in between bites of pan-seared duck drenched in a fig/red-wine reduction. This bottle is clearly built for the cellar, and I think its best drinking will come in 2024, but please open a few now. Simply decant for 30 minutes, serve at 60 degrees, and enjoy it over two days, not one!
