Archineri Rosso is Pietradolce's selected Nerello Mascalese from the northern slopes of Mount Etna in Sicily. The Faro family's estate uses old vines for a wine that combines fragrant red fruit with savoury depth. This magnum brings an elegant volcanic red to a shared dinner, with plenty to explore beyond the first pour.
- Aromas: Cherry, floral notes and white pepper are joined by earthy nuances, creating a fragrant, savoury profile rather than a dense dark-fruit perfume.
- Palate: Balanced and structured, with a gently chewy tannic frame and a long finish. Freshness carries the red fruit and gives definition to the savoury layers.
- Style: A dry, medium-to-full-bodied Etna red with old-vine depth, aromatic finesse and a firm but measured structure.
- Winemaking: Selected old-vine Nerello Mascalese from Etna's northern side forms the basis of the wine. Careful extraction and maturation aim to balance the grape's fragrance, freshness and naturally substantial tannins.
- Cellaring: Drink now if well stored, with potential for further development in bottle. If ageing further, store in a cool and dark location. Before opening stand upright to settle sediment, and taste before choosing gentle decanting or further aeration.
- Food Pairing: Roast duck, lamb, mushroom risotto or aged cheese; savoury dishes with herbs suit its peppery, earthy detail.
A magnum of Etna red makes a lovely addition to a wine-loving dinner. Archineri brings old-vine depth without losing the fragrance that makes Nerello Mascalese so appealing. Give it food, space in the glass and a few friends willing to explore the volcano together. Serve slightly cool, taste before deciding on decanting, and give the wine time to develop in the glass.
Pietradolce
High on the slopes of Mount Etna, Pietradolce is the Faro family’s tribute to Sicily’s volcanic landscape. Established in 2005 and based at Solicchiata, the estate combines a modern cellar with vineyards whose history reaches much further back. Nerello Mascalese is the central red grape, while Carricante shapes the whites. Northern-slope parcels sit at elevations of roughly 650 to 950 metres, and the estate also works an eastern site near Milo, bringing different aspects of Etna into the collection.
Old bush-trained vines are a defining attraction, including remarkable pre-phylloxera parcels that connect today’s wines with the mountain’s viticultural past. The family explores individual contrade, or vineyard districts, allowing small differences of place to emerge. Vigna Barbagalli is a particularly distinctive red, while Archineri offers another route into the estate’s old-vine character. These are wines whose appeal rests on perfume, freshness and structure, rather than a simple image of warm-climate Sicily. For wine lovers fascinated by origin, Pietradolce offers an expressive introduction to Etna’s altitude, ancient vines and deeply individual vineyard landscape.
