Sadly, my last magnum ! I should have bought more, this (L MS1) will be great for another 10+ years. It was decanted and aerated two hours before dinner. Transparent red with black tinges. Aromas of black cherries, musk, mushroom, forest floor; flavors of bright red fruits, raw steak, beetroot, hints of Marmite. This is a fresh and vibrant wine with a big structure in the background provided by its firm acids and tannins. Long, savory and bittersweet finish. It is succulent, every sip packed with flavor and character. At the right temperature this wine's 14.5% does not show hot at all, it seemed more like 13.5 %. Outstanding QPR.
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From magnum, double-decanted and served 30 minutes later. Remarkably similar to the many other bottles of this vintage I have had since release, with tremendous aromatic and flavor complexity, a firm acid and tannin structure, a hint of sweetness on the mid-palate, a slightly rustic character, and many good years still ahead of it. Outstanding QPR.
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From Magnum. Dad brought this. Pretty nose of cherry, black cherry, earth, meat and some blood, rocks, savory herbs, maybe some soy (thanks PKNUT!). The nose screams hot terroir but the wine isn't heavy or roasted at all - kind of reminds me of the 91 Prado Enea - you feel the sun and the stones but the wine isn't hot. This is more savory and less fruit based on the palate - definite meat and herbs and soy - good umami. Good acid backbone and some crunch and doesn't seem hot or heavy at all. I guess that's the VVs doing their job. Cherry and stones and herbs in the tart red finish. A bit dusty. Quite good. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 16/20.
Beautiful nose of red berries complicated by a bit of brett. Palate feeling a little tired overall compared to last bottle, but a very nice wine overall.
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Italian night (Washington, DC): Lovely freshness, dusty tannins, vibrant and spicy with complex red fruits, pepper, grilled herbs, mushroom, floral potpourri. Really interesting and complex but also so vibrant and easy to drink. From magnum.
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Triple-decanted and served immediately, this wine opened up after 20 minutes and was consistent with previous bottles and with my previous notes. Remarkable aromatic complexity: dried cherry, plum, earth, mushroom, leather, and dried herbs. Very savory flavors of red meat and sweet cherry underpinned by tart acidity and gentle but firm tannins. Very long finish with a medicinal note. Slightly funky and (as always for Calabretta) on the rustic side of Etna, this will work well with a wide variety of savory meals.
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From magnum. Medium ruby color. Super funky on the nose on first opening with some barnyard and brett but after about 20 minutes it morphed into more mushroom and earthy notes with dried cherries and red fruits and savory herbs. Palate was loaded with red cherry flavors, both fresh and dried, with some meaty, earthy, mushroom flavors and maybe a touch of tobacco. Just flat out perfectly balanced old world terroir with pure red fruit. Lively acidity. Absolutely loved this wine and a fantastic QPR as well.
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From Magnum. Nose and flavors are darker than I expected. Needs to be decanted. There was some funk on the nose that went away after 30 minutes. It's still tight and a bit tannic. Two to three years of rest should do this bottle good. Lay it down for a bit.
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From magnum, decanted and served immediately, it opened up after 25 minutes in glass and hit its stride after one hour; same vote and comments as my previous note for the complexity of its aromatics, integrated tannins, firm acid backbone, and overall balance. Worked perfectly with a tagliata of sirloin with rosemary and garlic. Calabretta shows the rustic side of Etna Rosso at a great QPR.
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This was the second magnum of 6 I purchased a few years ago. We had it with friends celebrating our anniversaries. We just uncorked the bottle and poured a splash for each of us and let it breath for a 30 minutes. Initially it was a little funky but on the second tasting the nose filled out with notes of dark fruit, mushroom and leather. On the palate the flavors were balanced and the soft tannins complimented the cool 14.5% alcohol. The finished extended the flavors of the palate and sustained the overall pleasure of the wine. I think there is still at least another 5-7 years for this wine to continue to improve.
Decanted ~1 hour, once glass consumed over ~1 hour. This bottle was seriously savory, with a hint of dried cherry fruit showing less so than broth, mushrooms, dried herbs, and tart acidity. A very good wine and one that I enjoy, but the tart, slightly funky character here wasn't a great match with the fairly delicate polpettone we made for friends despite the tomato sauce.
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Opened at a restaurant while celebrating with friends. We've opened two of these from the updated Vigne Vecchie bottling, and both have been in line with the bottles of Etna Rosso we opened in late 2014/early 2015. Dried (but not dried-out) cherries, earthy dried herbs & tea, decent acid, maybe the most broadly food-friendly red I've had in recent years. On this occasion, it shows wall alongside, of all things, a short rib burrito with red sauce at an upscale-ish Mexican place. 91, maybe edging towards 92 for me.
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An unending variety of aromatics and flavors: plum, leather and wet autumn leaves giving way to mushrooms, cheese and rosemary, with a medium-long aftertaste of ripe dark fruits, prune and black tea. Great structure; fine, medium tannins and a nice level of acidity, both beautifully integrated. This IGT is a second release of his 2004 Etna Rosso, renamed in the meantime due to Calabretta’s desire to avoid the Etna DOC, which he perceives as restrictive. This opened up much faster than the earlier bottlings I’ve had; normally Calabretta requires significant air, but this one was delicious immediately.
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Really delicious. Felt young and tannic compared to the 2001s I had, which were relatively easy going in their complexity. This had a lot of those same notes of cherries, leather, and hard cheese just in a package that was more tightly wound and giving a bit less. Still, an amazing value and a very fun wine.
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11/26/2021 - PaulusLoZebra Likes this wine: 93 Points
Sadly, my last magnum ! I should have bought more, this (L MS1) will be great for another 10+ years. It was decanted and aerated two hours before dinner. Transparent red with black tinges. Aromas of black cherries, musk, mushroom, forest floor; flavors of bright red fruits, raw steak, beetroot, hints of Marmite. This is a fresh and vibrant wine with a big structure in the background provided by its firm acids and tannins. Long, savory and bittersweet finish. It is succulent, every sip packed with flavor and character. At the right temperature this wine's 14.5% does not show hot at all, it seemed more like 13.5 %. Outstanding QPR.
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8/9/2020 - PaulusLoZebra Likes this wine: 94 Points
From magnum, double-decanted and served 30 minutes later. Remarkably similar to the many other bottles of this vintage I have had since release, with tremendous aromatic and flavor complexity, a firm acid and tannin structure, a hint of sweetness on the mid-palate, a slightly rustic character, and many good years still ahead of it. Outstanding QPR.
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8/3/2019 - Seth Rosenberg Likes this wine: 92 Points
From Magnum. Dad brought this. Pretty nose of cherry, black cherry, earth, meat and some blood, rocks, savory herbs, maybe some soy (thanks PKNUT!). The nose screams hot terroir but the wine isn't heavy or roasted at all - kind of reminds me of the 91 Prado Enea - you feel the sun and the stones but the wine isn't hot. This is more savory and less fruit based on the palate - definite meat and herbs and soy - good umami. Good acid backbone and some crunch and doesn't seem hot or heavy at all. I guess that's the VVs doing their job. Cherry and stones and herbs in the tart red finish. A bit dusty. Quite good. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 16/20.
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7/1/2019 - doctornoah Likes this wine: 90 Points
Beautiful nose of red berries complicated by a bit of brett. Palate feeling a little tired overall compared to last bottle, but a very nice wine overall.
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3/23/2019 - isaacjamesbaker wrote: 93 Points
Italian night (Washington, DC): Lovely freshness, dusty tannins, vibrant and spicy with complex red fruits, pepper, grilled herbs, mushroom, floral potpourri. Really interesting and complex but also so vibrant and easy to drink. From magnum.
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5/5/2018 - PaulusLoZebra Likes this wine: 93 Points
Triple-decanted and served immediately, this wine opened up after 20 minutes and was consistent with previous bottles and with my previous notes. Remarkable aromatic complexity: dried cherry, plum, earth, mushroom, leather, and dried herbs. Very savory flavors of red meat and sweet cherry underpinned by tart acidity and gentle but firm tannins. Very long finish with a medicinal note. Slightly funky and (as always for Calabretta) on the rustic side of Etna, this will work well with a wide variety of savory meals.
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1/7/2018 - Rich S Likes this wine: 93 Points
From magnum. Medium ruby color. Super funky on the nose on first opening with some barnyard and brett but after about 20 minutes it morphed into more mushroom and earthy notes with dried cherries and red fruits and savory herbs. Palate was loaded with red cherry flavors, both fresh and dried, with some meaty, earthy, mushroom flavors and maybe a touch of tobacco. Just flat out perfectly balanced old world terroir with pure red fruit. Lively acidity. Absolutely loved this wine and a fantastic QPR as well.
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11/20/2016 - DoubleMagnum wrote: 90 Points
From Magnum. Nose and flavors are darker than I expected. Needs to be decanted. There was some funk on the nose that went away after 30 minutes. It's still tight and a bit tannic. Two to three years of rest should do this bottle good. Lay it down for a bit.
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8/12/2016 - PaulusLoZebra Likes this wine: 93 Points
From magnum, decanted and served immediately, it opened up after 25 minutes in glass and hit its stride after one hour; same vote and comments as my previous note for the complexity of its aromatics, integrated tannins, firm acid backbone, and overall balance. Worked perfectly with a tagliata of sirloin with rosemary and garlic. Calabretta shows the rustic side of Etna Rosso at a great QPR.
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7/3/2016 - MJR21401 Likes this wine: 92 Points
This was the second magnum of 6 I purchased a few years ago. We had it with friends celebrating our anniversaries. We just uncorked the bottle and poured a splash for each of us and let it breath for a 30 minutes. Initially it was a little funky but on the second tasting the nose filled out with notes of dark fruit, mushroom and leather. On the palate the flavors were balanced and the soft tannins complimented the cool 14.5% alcohol. The finished extended the flavors of the palate and sustained the overall pleasure of the wine. I think there is still at least another 5-7 years for this wine to continue to improve.
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4/10/2016 - bretrooks wrote:
Decanted ~1 hour, once glass consumed over ~1 hour. This bottle was seriously savory, with a hint of dried cherry fruit showing less so than broth, mushrooms, dried herbs, and tart acidity. A very good wine and one that I enjoy, but the tart, slightly funky character here wasn't a great match with the fairly delicate polpettone we made for friends despite the tomato sauce.
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12/28/2015 - bretrooks wrote: 91 Points
Opened at a restaurant while celebrating with friends. We've opened two of these from the updated Vigne Vecchie bottling, and both have been in line with the bottles of Etna Rosso we opened in late 2014/early 2015. Dried (but not dried-out) cherries, earthy dried herbs & tea, decent acid, maybe the most broadly food-friendly red I've had in recent years. On this occasion, it shows wall alongside, of all things, a short rib burrito with red sauce at an upscale-ish Mexican place. 91, maybe edging towards 92 for me.
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12/23/2015 - PaulusLoZebra Likes this wine: 93 Points
An unending variety of aromatics and flavors: plum, leather and wet autumn leaves giving way to mushrooms, cheese and rosemary, with a medium-long aftertaste of ripe dark fruits, prune and black tea. Great structure; fine, medium tannins and a nice level of acidity, both beautifully integrated. This IGT is a second release of his 2004 Etna Rosso, renamed in the meantime due to Calabretta’s desire to avoid the Etna DOC, which he perceives as restrictive. This opened up much faster than the earlier bottlings I’ve had; normally Calabretta requires significant air, but this one was delicious immediately.
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12/4/2015 - Enfant sauvage Likes this wine:
Really delicious. Felt young and tannic compared to the 2001s I had, which were relatively easy going in their complexity. This had a lot of those same notes of cherries, leather, and hard cheese just in a package that was more tightly wound and giving a bit less. Still, an amazing value and a very fun wine.
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