“Nerello” refers to the black colour of the grapes, which translates ‘the black grape of Mascali’. The black colour is shared by its neighbour Nerello Cappucino. Both varieties are found in the Etna DOC, of which ‘Mascalese’ is mostly the bulk of the blend.
It's Origin
It is said that its origins lie in Italy, the Mascali plain between Mount Etna and the coast it takes its name from and is thought to have originated.
Family Ties
There is still not a 100% verifiable parent through DNA testing. It is said to find its kindship as an offspring of the Calabrian grape “Mantonico Bianco”, but also with Carricante. Recent DNA testing has suggested that Nerello Mascalese is likely to have originated from Sangiovese.
Climate and Soils
This varietal grows across Sicily, Italy and loves the variable volcanic soils especially. It is planted throughout the Etna Volcano at altitudes between 400-1,000 meters above sea level, where it can enjoy a long growing season. There are only about 3,000 ha planted, primarily on the slopes of the Etna and some in Calabria.
- Sicily, Italy
- Calabria, Italy
Vine Manual: How does Nerello Mascalese Grow
These volcanic soils, surely bring out its huge, robust and yet subtle character with astonishing complexity.
- Early budding
- Late ripening
- Prone to powdery mildew & botrytis bunch rot
- Prone to coulure & millerandage
- Dark-skinned variety
- Most vines are Bush-vine trained
- Medium-sized clusters, often with an elongated conical shape.
It is a variety of which its skins have a high phenolic content, that the wines are typically kept for a short time on the skins (10-15 days) to avoid over-extracting the tannins. But there are believes to keep the wine on the skins for much longer (30-90 days) believing that this results in smoother tannins. They are usually aged in large, neutral oak casks or 500-600L barrels rather than new barrels.
It’s all in the Name Baby
Niureddu or Negrello
Tickle Your Taste Buds Nerello Mascalese’ Taste Profile
Nerello Mascalese has a moderate ruby colour, high acidity, medium-high tannins, medium (plus) alcohol, medium plus body, high flavour intensity with aromas as red fruits, floral and mineral notes. Nerello Mascalese is a variety that will improve with age, varying somewhere between five to fifteen years, depending on the vintage and its producer.
Red fruits like raspberry, red cherry, floral notes like violet and rose petals. Herbal, thyme, herbaceous, earthy notes, minerality, smoke.
Did you Know?
- Mount Etna is no sleeping giant! In fact, 16 February 2021 marked its most recent eruption! Lucky enough, most vineyards are planted on unaffected slopes.
- Nerello Mascalese shows a similar style to Pinot Noir with all its red-fruit characteristics and floral aromas.
History Fact
Nerello Mascalese grapes flourish on the hills and coastlines of Sicily, offering breathtaking views of the Messina Strait. The origins of this grape's name trace back to the Pharii Greek community, believed to have settled in the hills around Punta Faro, the tip of the Strait of Messina. It was during the Greek colonisation of the region in the seventh century BC that Nerello Mascalese likely first emerged, as the Greeks, renowned for their wine culture, began cultivating Dionysus and experimenting with winemaking along the Messina and Calabrian shores.
The production of wine eventually expanded to the slopes of Mount Etna in the Catania and Messina regions, where the esteemed Mamertines wine gained admiration from Syracusan tyrants and later from the Romans. However, Nerello Mascalese remained relatively obscure until 1543, when Charles V granted the Mascali Plain to wine growers who recognized the potential of this grape variety.
It wasn't until the end of the 20th century that Nerello Mascalese began to receive international acclaim, thanks to meticulous efforts to enhance both the grape variety and the wines it produces. Today, Nerello Mascalese stands as a shining example of Sicilian viticulture, celebrated for its unique character and quality on the global stage. And there are still some pre-phylloxera vines grown there from the 1880s.
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What is Nerello Mascalese?
Nerello Mascalese is Sicily's great volcanic red grape, named after the Mascali plain between Mount Etna and the coast. It forms the backbone of Etna DOC reds, with only about 3,000 hectares planted, almost all on the slopes of Etna with a little in Calabria.
What does Nerello Mascalese taste like?
Expect a moderate ruby wine with high acidity, medium to high tannins and high flavour intensity: raspberry and red cherry over violet and rose petals, with thyme, earth, minerality and a whisper of smoke. Good examples improve for five to fifteen years in bottle.
Is Nerello Mascalese similar to Pinot Noir?
In style, yes: both share a pale ruby colour, red fruit elegance and floral aromatics. The difference is the ground it grows on, because Etna's volcanic soils give Nerello Mascalese its distinctive mineral, smoky edge.
Why is Nerello Mascalese called a volcanic variety?
It grows on the living volcano of Mount Etna, planted at 400 to 1,000 meters above sea level on variable volcanic soils that give the wines their complexity. And Etna is no sleeping giant: its most recent major eruption came in February 2021, with most vineyards on unaffected slopes.
How is Nerello Mascalese wine made?
The grape's skins are high in phenolics, so most producers keep the wine on the skins only 10 to 15 days to avoid harsh tannins, though some macerate 30 to 90 days for smoother texture. Ageing typically happens in large neutral oak casks rather than new barrels.
Resources
- WSET Diploma Study Materials
- Wine Searcher, “Nerello Mascalese Wine” - Accessed on March 7, 2024
- La Sicilyana Wines, “Nerello Mascalese”, - Accessed on March 8, 2024
- Nerello Mascalese, "Nerello Mascalese: the Grape" - Accessed on March 8, 2024
Margot van Lieshout
Wine marketeer, sales expert with over 20 years in the trade, public speaker and international wine judge. Thousands of wines scored from Steiermark to Ningxia, and a trade she knows from the inside out. Wine with Margot is where she helps wine brands tell the stories that sell them.
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