Girolamo Russo - Etna Rosso Feudo Di Mezzo 2020 (750ml)
Price: $66.00
| Producer | Girolamo Russo |
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Sicily |
| Subregion | Etna |
| Varietal | Nerello Mascalese |
| Vintage | 2020 |
| Sku | 6039 |
| Size | 750ml |
Wine Advocate: 95 Points
The Girolamo Russo 2020 Etna Rosso Feudo di Mezzo opens to a hint of salinity or minerality that is specific to this site. Those linear aromas tend to frame a tight core of wild fruit white cherry apricot and mountain flowers like blue bonnet or Sicilian ginestra which grows with yellow blooms on the flanks of the volcano. The wine's interesting saltiness cedes directly to the mouthfeel. The tannins are more prominent in this vintage. You should get very good aging potential from this bottle. Giuseppe Russo makes some of the best wines on Etna. Full stop.
Vinous: 93+ Points
The remarkably pretty 2020 Etna Rosso Feudo d'Mezzo opens with a whiff of sweet spice that gives way to dried roses cinnamon and clove. This is surprisingly juicy and energetic in feel with crisp red fruits propelled by vibrant acidity as citrus adds cheek-puckering tension toward the close. The 2020 finishes dramatically long with a saturating concentration and edgy tannins that curl the tongue as sour cherry hints fade. This is deceivingly open and giving yet remarkably complex. I suggest checking in on one for its primary fruit but then cellaring the rest to unveil their underlying power. - By Eric Guido on June 2023 The 2019s and 2020s from Girolamo Russo couldn?t possibly be any more different from one another. Both vintages provide a massive amount of pleasure but for entirely different reasons. The 2019s are radiant concentrated finely structured built for the cellar and classic. Giuseppe Russo described 2019 as a fresh vintage with balanced precipitation and steady warmth explaining that he could harvest without pressure. On the other hand the 2020s are vividly fresh and fruit-focused loaded with sweet spice texturally lifted lightly structured and downright sexy. Most of them are already drinking well but with medium-term cellaring potential. According to Russo the issue with 2020 was the rain that started in September and lasted through harvest. This delayed ripening and in the end he wished that he could have left the fruit on the vines even longer but was forced to harvest what he referred to as wet bunches. Ultimately the 2020s are atypical of the house style but I must admit that they are nearly impossible to ignore. I also tasted the 2022 Biancos. This was a warm and arid year and I feel that in the wines? opulent fruit yet the balance of these two sun-kissed beauties is remarkable. In this case Giuseppe Russo harvested early to retain acidity and did a fantastic job. This portfolio was a pleasure to taste through. Lastly we?ll be treated to a new Cru wine from Girolamo Russo in the coming years. The Crositta will hail from a vineyard planted at 800 meters which will be Russo?s highest-elevation fruit. This wine is still in the experimental phase.
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