Idda


— Portfolio —

ETNA BIANCO SICILIA DOP 2022
Bottle Shot

There is no question the Gaja family have never been ones to swim with the current, not simply to be seen as modernisers or to stand out from the crowd but to challenge the established norms in an attempt to produce the best wine possible.

In a region synonymous for quality red wine production originating from the Northern slopes of Mont Etna (Nerello Mascalese), Gaja decided to purchase both an existing vineyard and plant a new separate site on the less publicised southern slopes. All of these new plantings are Carricante, a white variety.

80% of currently plantings on Etna are Nerello, so the fact that most of IDDA production will be white made from Carricante and from south facing slopes is very unorthodox. But so was planting Chardonnay in Barbaresco classified sites…

100% Carricante. Post picking a small parcel is left overnight on skins before pressing. 50% fermented in tank, 50% in barrel of which is a combination of 1000 ltr seasoned French oak and 5000ltr Austrian Stockinger barrels. Part of the wine goes through malolactic. The total elevage is 8 months. Each plot is aged for 6 months separately, then blended and bottled 2 months later.

So why is it not classified Etna Bianco DOP?

The first vineyard Gaja purchased is in Biancavilla and lies within in the Etna DOP boundaries and does have some old vine Carricante planted. However the second vineyard in Belpasso (where the IDDA winery has been built) is exclusively planted with Carricante but sits just outside the border of the Etna DOP. IDDA Bianco is a blend of these two vineyards. Gaja always had the plan to plant here so the wine has been labelled Bianca Sicilia since inception.

“The 2022 Bianco pleases on many levels, wafting up with an unexpected fruit richness, combining young peach and apricot with white flowers and almond paste. It’s round and soothing, yet with a stunning mix of candied lime and saline minerals up front that adds contrast. Sweet inner florals complement ripe pit fruits. The 2022 cleans up beautifully, long and with a salty flair, as it tapers off crunchy, full of tension, yet mouth-watering all the same” – 93 points – Vinous

“Sourced from vines in Biancavilla, on Etna’s southwest slope between 700-800m, and in Belpasso, on the southern slope between 600-700m, IDDA Bianco is vinified and aged in a combination of stainless steel and 10hl barrels, it has a fine, smoky, flinty nose with wafts of peach, mango and white flowers. In the mouth it’s intense and vertical, with juicy sapidity and great acidity defining its edges. Subtly textured and zingy, there’s peach, citrus peel, honey, lime juice and white flowers to be found, ending with a gentle stoniness” – 92 points – Decanter

ETNA ROSSO SICILIA DOP 2021
Bottle Shot

IDDA means ‘she’ in the Sicilian dialect, which is a term of endearment and awe which Sicilian’s refer to her, being Etna. Predominantly Nerello Mascalese with a touch of Nerello Cappuccio. This wine comes entirely from the Biancavilla vineyard which sits on the southern side of Mount Etna, south west facing slopes, between 700 and 800 meters above sea level. Vineyard as planted in 1975.

Fermented in a combination of steel and seasoned wood vessels. 25/30% whole-bunch. Pressed off to barrel. 80% of these barrels are 2000ltr & 4000ltr, French and Australian with a handful of 700ltr from the same origin. Aged separately for 9 months before then blending of the differing barrels. Bottling is done 3 months post blending.

“The 2021 Etna Rosso is spicy with a burst of savory herbs and flowery underbrush, complicating a core of dried black cherries. It flows across the palate like pure silk, polished and refined with mounting saline mineral tones contrasting its ripe wild berry fruits. The 2021 takes on a juicy quality through the finale, leaving gently grippy tannins to mingle with lavender and inner rose. This remarkably pretty Etna Rosso should drink beautifully with only minimal cellaring” – 93 points – Vinous

“Fascinating aromas of iron, blood, and dark berries. Some flowers. Full-bodied yet fresh and intense with tar and pumice and plenty of red fruits. Chewy yet polished tannins buttress the wine nicely. Better in a couple of years. Try after 2025” – 94 points – James Suckling