Eduardo Torres Versante Nord 2023

Eduardo Torres Acosta is the project of a young Canary Island winemaker working on the northern slopes of Mount Etna in Sicily, under the IGT Terre Siciliane. Versante Nord comes mainly from Nerello Mascalese with other native varieties, farmed biodynamically across three rented plots he is in the process of recovering. The volcanic soils here are free draining and rich in minerals, and the altitude brings a wide day to night temperature swing that holds acidity and slows ripening, giving the wine its lift and its savoury character. Sixteen months in large foudre allows gentle oxygen exchange without imposing oak flavour, so the fruit and the volcanic signature stay in the foreground. The colour is a pale to medium ruby. The nose shows red cherry, wild berry, dried herbs and a smoky, ashy minerality typical of Etna. The palate is medium bodied with fine grained tannins, fresh acidity and an earthy, peppery finish. Serve at 16 to 17 degrees in a wide bowled glass. It suits roast and grilled meats and earthy mushroom dishes.