Vigneti Vecchio Contrada Friera 2022

Etna is, rightly, one of the most hyped DOCs in Italy. The (land) prices are skyrocketing, the (international) top scores are hard to keep up with and several times a year there are investments and purchases from outside (abroad and/or Northern Italy). The mega-amiable couple Vecchio, Carmelo and Rosa, on the other hand, are real Etna locals. Carmelo Vecchio and his wife, Rosa La Guzza, grew up among the Etnae vigneti. Carmelo started working at a young age at the nearby Passopisciaro and after twenty years of practical experience it was time to start his own little project. From barely one hectare of vines, up to 130 years old, inherited from Rosa's family, the couple took matters into their own hands: sustainable farming by hand, elegant balance in the grapes, micro-vinifications in the small cellar under their house, with respect for tradition and terroir and maturation of the wines in used barrels before bottling without clarification or filtration. This is vino dell'Etna of the highest order yet extremely affordable. Vigneti Vecchio is steadily working its way to the top (in June 2022, for example, they bought a large plot of 105 years old in Contrada Linguaglossa). And we at Crombé are extremely proud to represent this beautiful estate!