2022 Giovinco Etna Rosso
A blend of Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio from their parcels across the mountain. Aged in a combination of tonneaux
Producer
Giovinco
I have reviewed four wines from Giovinco, from the 2022 to 2024 vintages, across Etna, Sambuca di Sicilia and Terre Siciliane. Scores range from 91 to 94, averaging 93; the highest is the 2022 Giovinco Etna Rosso (94 points). Giovinco also features in three journal articles on this site.
Giovinco is a family estate that bridges two of Sicily’s most exciting terroirs: Sambuca di Sicilia in the west and Mount Etna in the east. The family have been vignaioli in Sambuca since their grandfather bought vineyards in 1920, and winemaker Vito Giovinco leads a clean, precise approach built on organic farming: the Sambuca vineyards have been certified organic since 2006.
Sambuca di Sicilia is a small, often overlooked DOC established in the 1970s. Its calcareous clay holds water through the hot summers and helps the grapes keep structure and acidity, and the nearby Lago Arancio cools the nights in a region where days reach 40°C. Sgarretta, a Nero d’Avola from a single vineyard, captures the grape’s generous spirit without jamminess, aged six months in large neutral casks and six in bottle. Alma is a bright, Mediterranean Catarratto.
In 2011 the family bought a three-hectare plot in Contrada San Lorenzo on Etna’s northern slope. The Etna Bianco, mostly stainless steel with about 10% aged in wood, crackles with volcanic tension, and the Etna Rosso, Nerello Mascalese with Nerello Cappuccio aged in tonneaux and large casks, is powerful yet elegant. It is a tale of two Sicilies from one family.
2022 Giovinco “Sgarretta” Nero d’Avola
So, what makes Nero d’Avola from Sambuca di Sicilia so special? It’s all about balance. In many warmer parts of
2023 Giovinco Etna Bianco
From their high-altitude vineyards on the volcanic slopes of Mount Etna, this Bianco is a masterclass in tension and complexity.
2024 Giovinco “Alma” Catarratto
2024 “Alma” Catarratto “Alma” is Giovinco’s take on one of Sicily’s most important indigenous white grapes. Reflecting their clean winemaking
Etna – Where to start
For a long time, the wine world looked at Sicily as a place for bulk wine—hot, high-alcohol, and largely anonymous.
Giovinco: A Century-Old Legacy Reborn in Sicily
Here at K&L, we are constantly searching for producers who offer a true sense of place, whose wines tell the
Italy Report: Espresso, Barolo & Your Next Favorite Bottles
You have not really lived until you have tasted Barolo at 9am, had six espressos before noon, rush through Vinitaly
Italy Report: Espresso, Barolo & Your Next Favorite Bottles Read Post »