$114.99
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Region: Etna, Sicily
Grapes: Nerello Mascalese
First Glance: Medium bodied, tannic, complex
Monteleone is a small family business consisting of Giulia Monteleone, her partner Benedetto Alessandro and her father Enrico. Started in 2017, the young estate draws on the very special volcanic terroir found on the slopes of Mt Etna, Sicily, to make wines of structure and concentration.
The Qubba comes from a singe Contrada (vineyard), on the northern slopes of the volcano, at 500m altitude. This is the estate's oldest Nerello Mascalese vines, dating back to 1935 and trained in the "Albarello" fashion (head trained/bushvine). It matures in 700 litre oak barrels (tonneaux) with delicate toasting for 12 months, and a further 21 months in bottle before release. 1250 bottles produced.
The Best Cellars View:
More concentrated than the estate's Rosso, this shows its old vine material clearly. Dark cherry fruit, bramble, turned earth, toasted spices and smoked meats lend a savoury edge. A slight sweet incense note from the oak rounds out the picture. In the mouth the Qubba comes across as medium bodied, with head-strong tannins and good freshness, hallmarks of classic Nerello Mascalese. A structured wine for ageing or to go with protein-rich fare.
