Sicily's most exciting and internationally celebrated wine DOC — the volcanic basalt slopes of Mount Etna at 500-1000m elevation, producing Nerello Mascalese (red) and Carricante (white) of extraordinary complexity and transparency from pre-phylloxera old vines on black volcanic soils. Etna wines have been compared to Burgundy for their translucency, mineral depth, and the way they express the specific altitude and aspect of the volcano's diverse contrade (named plots). The Etna revolution — triggered by Andrea Franchetti's Passopisciaro in 2000 — has transformed Mount Etna into one of the world's most sought-after and discussed wine regions.
| Year | Rating | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | — | Outstanding Etna vintage; Nerello Mascalese from volcanic basalt showed extraordinary transparency and the characteristic smoky mineral depth of the best contrade. |
| 2021 | — | Classic vintage; cooler Etna conditions produced wines of excellent freshness and the delicate, transparent Pinot-like character that defines Nerello at altitude. |
| 2020 | — | Benchmark year; Terre Nere and Passopisciaro contrade wines received extraordinary international attention; Etna's status as Italy's most exciting wine region confirmed. |
| 2019 | — | Greatest Etna vintage of the modern era; Nerello Mascalese of historic transparency and volcanic mineral depth; contrade wines achieved record prices. |
| 2018 | — | Excellent vintage; volcanic basalt expressed itself with unusual clarity; old-vine Nerello of extraordinary aromatic complexity and subtle smoky minerality. |