I Custodi "Imbris" Etna Bianco Superiore, Sicily, Italy 2020

FROM PORTOVINO:

THE WINE: 100% Carricante. ‘Imbris’ is I Custodi’s long awaited Etna Bianco Superiore, produced from less than 1 ha total of Carricante vines growing at 900m altitude in Contrada Caselle, a grand cru site for Carricante. Cool air from the Ionian sea pushes up Etna’s Eastern slope and through the vineyard here year round, creating a constant sea-meets-mountain wind that imparts a palpable salinity to the fruit on the vine. The meeting of the two air masses also results in significant annual rainfall over Contrada Caselle– ‘Imbris’ takes its name from the Latin word for ‘rain’. Over the centuries, the driving winds of Etna’s Eastern slope have deposited red soils from the Sahara in the Caselle vineyard, lending to the unique soil composition of the site. The wind further dries out the vineyard from excess moisture; this in combination with the fast draining sandy soils causes the roots to dig deep in search of moisture, in turn promoting a more concentrated flavor profile in the fruit.

THE PRODUCER: It’s spring, yet all of a sudden the air is becoming bitter cold. Extreme diurnal temperature swings mark one of many differences that make Mt. Etna different from the sun-n-fun vibe you usually find in Sicilia. We grab our jackets and start walking among I Custodi’s gnarly bush vines, curled into the stark black soils. The muted sun falls on cooled lava flows and crumbled pomice fields. Dry-terraced lava walls demarcate the vista. This is what it must be like to grow vines on the moon.

From its beginning in 2007, local owner Mario Paoluzi set the groundwork to make I Custodi an Etna fuoriclasse, as the Italians say, one of the greats. Besides sending us many cell phone pics of when A Muntagna is erupting, he has had unwavering passion to work exclusively with the ancient albarello bush vines, some of which in his possession are 150+ years old. He also has key vineyards holdings on the northern and southeastern slopes, and a cellar that allows for long ferments and exteneded elevage.