2022 I Custodi Nerello Cappuccio

Place: Mt. Etna — Sicily, Italy

Variety: Nerello Cappucio

Farming: Organic

Words by the importer, Michael Zaccaria of QuelVino

"I Custodi was founded in 2007 and, from the beginning, founder Mario Paluzzi set the groundwork to make I Custodi an Etna fuoriclasse, as the Italians say, one of the greats.

He has had an unwavering passion to work exclusively with the ancient albarello bush vines, some of which in his possession are 250+ years old and has key vineyard holdings on the northern and southeastern slopes.

Their cellar master is long-time Etna guru Salvo Foti who founded the I Vigneri consortium, determined to preserve tradition on Etna by maintaining albarello vines and volcanic terracing and, importantly, crafting the old world, traditional wines of Etna. All wines are certified organic, hand-harvested and fermented with native yeasts. 

Nerello Cappuccio is all about rustic charm, compared with its sibling Nerello Mascalase. Bitter chocolate tannins and punchy dark black and blue fruits—and of course that tell-tale spicy volcanic fragrance of all Etna wine.