A visit to Azienda Agricola Graci

Another passionate and big investment in Etna’s vineyards, Graci are just a few minutes walk from Passopisciaro’s main street where the speed limit seems to be optional and the morning coffee choices are limited. Arriving at the same time as crates of just picked Carricante, those promising smells of a winery in vintage filled the noses of us lucky tasters.

As a nerdy aside, it’s maybe interesting to note a couple of choices when making white wine, starting as soon as grapes arrive. Here Graci choose to destem and crush rather than the whole bunch pressing of I Custodi. I’m pretty sure I can’t tell the difference when the juice is fermented and rested safely in a bottle. Both ways seem more about avoiding the flavour and texture of leaving the juice to suck up skin flavours. Fascinating, no.

All of Graci’s production seems to come from vineyards close to their home, even the whites are local to the north slopes rather than from the east favoured by some. They do have a joint venture with Gaja of Piemontese fame on the south west slope but the tasting concentrated on the home vineyards. Walking along the western edge of Arcuria on the way to taste, the vines looked in the best of health. 2024 is putting a smile on quite a few Etna faces. Speaking of which, the simpatico Riccardo led us through a broad and delicious line up.

The whites were maybe a bit rounder and softer than those from further east but had a purity and focus that showed some impressive definition as the two crus of Arcuria and Muganazzi were quite different in flavour and structure. The former riper, rounder and all yellow fruit, the latter really reduced, more linear with a higher line of ashy acidity. Interesting too how we all see different things in wine. Of seven tasters, I was the only one to prefer Arcuria, finding Muganazzi just a bit too sulphury.

On to the reds, noting that pink is for drinking not going on about, the cleanliness and purity were remarkable. But in no way diminishing the depth or sense of place. The 2021 Arcuria, Mascalese 100%, was hedonistic with rich perfumes of ripe wild strawberry juice, spice and fine white fireplace ash. A bottle would disappear as quickly as some drivers take the bends in the roads around Etna. From a special patch of Arcuria, Sopra il Pozzo, above the well, was well above many Etna Rossi in terms of rounded sweet autumn fruit, smoky with age, and a perfect wash of those volcanic tannins and acidity that leave no gaps. If we were tasting blind, I made the dubious comparison that I would have maybe thought it a mature 1er cru Burg with some austerity. Silly maybe but sometimes comparison is the easy option. Tasting such good things so close to where they grow is a privilege. Grazie, Graci and Riccardo indeed and the friendship that made it possible. Etna blew a smoke ring as a reminder of who’s in charge.