Russo Nerina Etna Bianco

Giuseppe Russo is a quiet thoughtful man, formerly a pianist. In 2005  he founded his estate, named Girolamo as a tribute to his father, and has since been making organic wines in his family’s old vineyards. The vines, many of which aged 100 years, are planted at high altitude on ancient lava flows. This is the magic terroir that provides the trademark minerality and salinity of Russo’s wines.  Taste them and you will easily understand why Giuseppe has gained a cult following, alongside other iconic Etna producers such as  Frank Cornelissen or Pietra Dolce.

His Nerina white wine is a Carricante-based field blend of Sicilian native varieties, fermented with natural yeasts only. Many of the plots this wine’s fruit hails from were planted over 100 years ago and therefore deliver amazing concentration and depth. 30% of the wine spends 6 months in large wooden barrels, resting on its lees and thus gaining textural complexity.  Nerina has an elegant nose of lemon, verbena, green melon and spices. The palate is precise, complex and highly textural, with layers of lemon, apples, lime, apple tart and a touch of tropical fruits. This wine has great ageing potential thanks to its vibrant acidity, mineral backbone and flavour complexity.
Delicious paired with grilled fish, spring salads and seafood platters.