Sicilian wine made from two Nerellos

This is a bottle of red Etna DOC wine made from two Nerello grapes indigenous to that area. Nerello, like Lambrusco, is a family of grapes, but whilst the various Lambrusco DOC regions ensure that the different varieties are known, only Nerello Mascalese is generally known (and only recently getting a wider audience). The two varieties used in this wine are Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio, the two most commonly encountered members of the Nerello family. The former is named after the Mascari plain in Catani when it was thought to originate, and is a useful blending grape adding colour as well as an aromatic spiciness to the wines. Nerello Cappuccio is supposed to be the better grape and is mainly found between 350 and 900m above sea level on the slopes of Mount Etna. Both grapes are harvested late in October. As for this wine tasted in the 2011 wine fair, it was a light garnet colour with a sweet red fruit nose harbouring notes of meatiness. Sweet overall from start to finish, it was fruity on the palate, followed by nice acid woody notes to the finish.