LCBO Wine Find: 2022 Tornatore Etna Rosso
- May 2
- 2 min read
We're getting wild today as we travel to an active volcano to taste wine. Today's wine find comes from Mt Etna in Sicily, the 2022 Tornatore Etna Rosso. There is something about volcanic soils that lifts the wine's acidity, and you walk away with vibrancy and lift, two things that excite the palate beyond words.
About Tornatore
If Sicilian wine is new to you, Tornatore is a pretty perfect place to start. This is a family-run winery on the northern slopes of Mount Etna. (Told you we were travelling to an active volcano - I was not kidding.)
The Tornatore family has been rooted in this part of Sicily for generations, but it was in the 1860s that they really began cultivating vineyards. Fast forward to today, and they’re one of the largest vineyard holders in the Etna DOC, with a deep commitment to showcasing what this wild, volcanic landscape can do.
These vineyards sit at elevations between 550 and 700 meters, planted in soils made of lava, ash, and basalt. It’s dramatic, it’s rugged, and it gives the wines a very distinct personality.
What I really appreciate about Tornatore is that most times, they let the grapes and the volcano do the talking. It’s a very “less is more” philosophy, but with the kind of technical skill you’d expect from a modern, quality-focused producer.
About the 2022 Tornatore Etna Rosso Wine
The 2022 Tornatore Etna Rosso is made primarily from Nerello Mascalese, with a small percentage of Nerello Cappuccio. If those names are new to you, I always describe this bottle as if Nebbiolo and Pinot Noir produced an offspring. It’s light in colour, high in acidity, structured with fine tannins, and incredibly expressive of place.
In the glass, this Etna Rosso is a light ruby with a delicate garnet hue around the rim. On the nose, raspberry, cherry, cassis, and rosehip. On the palate, you find a structured wine with giving acidity, with a little more than moderate tannins, and moderate + alcohol. Those red berries persist on the palate and are accompanied by prune, dark cranberries, an element of anise, and allspice. This wine is incredibly juicy and great with or without food.
The 2022 Tornatore Etna Rosso is such a great bottle to explore the Etna DOC. It feels familiar enough to be approachable, but different enough to be exciting.
And honestly? There’s something kind of magical about drinking a wine that comes from the slopes of an active volcano. It’s a conversation starter for sure!
The Tornatore Etna Rosso can be found in the LCBO vintages for 24.95.
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