Emiliano Falsini is one of the best respected consultants in Italy. He plays a significant role in the style and superb quality of two of our favourite organic Italian producers – Chiappini in Bolgheri and Tenuta di Castellaro in the Lipari Islands. So, when he contacted me to let me know about his new, personal wine project on the slopes of Mount Etna in Sicily, I was immediately intrigued. In his very first vintage his three wines, made from local grapes and very old vines on the cool northern slopes of the volcano, immediately achieved the highest ratings for the entire Etna region from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate!

Emiliano purchased the Feudo Pignatone vineyard at 700mts altitude on the northern slopes of Mount Etna in 2018. The vines range from 30 to over 100 years old; his Sciauro Rosato and Davanti Casa Etna Rosso come from the oldest plots. He works the vines organically to produce wines with a strong sense of terroir, purity and volcanic minerality.  He makes minsicule quantities of ultra-high quality rosé and red wine from the local Nerello Mascalese grape.