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Labelle Wines & Liquors
2023 Gustinella Jungimmune Bianco (Case of 6)
2023 Gustinella Jungimmune Bianco (Case of 6)
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$353.70 CAD
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$353.70 CAD
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6x750ML
2023 Gustinella Jungimmune Bianco, Etna Italy
A selection of native white grapes grown in the high vineyards of Maletto (between 1000 and 1200 meters above sea level), where old vines of Grecanico Dorato, a specific biotype of Grecanico developed on the north-west side of Etna, are vinified together with other local varieties (Minnella, Albanella, Moscatella, Trebbiano and other minor varieties not yet identified). The grapes are gently crushed and destemmed and then left to macerate for a few hours on the skins. Fermentation is spontaneous and takes place in stainless steel vats. The refinement lasts approximately ten months in steel and eight months in the bottle. Bold, zesty, and delicious. Think dried apricot, orange peel, and a touch of burnt salty meringue, with a textured, lemon-pith finish that lingers like a daydream.
Sonia's Fairytale Story:
Sonia Gambino is crafting some of the most distinctive wines on Mount Etna in Sicily, which recently has been referred to as "The Burgundy of the Mediterranean”. While most producers on these volcanic slopes focus on Nerello Mascalese and Carricante, Sonia works with ancient parcels of Grenache and Grecanico Dorato, creating wines of remarkable texture, elegance, and minerality. Like another famous proponent of high-elevation Grenache, Comando G in Spain, her wines reveal wildly delicious vinous magic from a previously undiscovered terroir.
Her path began at the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Piedmont, where she discovered her true calling during a formative visit to Bartolo Mascarello: "I still remember the feeling when I entered the cellar with Maria-Teresa! A new feeling that moved something deep, really sensorial…
From that moment, wine started to become my life!" This passion led her to formal studies in viticulture and oenology in France, followed by hands-on experience at prestigious estates like Léoville Las Cases and vineyards across New Zealand and Chile.
Sonia was working with Marsala innovator Nino Baracco in western Sicily when COVID struck. As Italy went into lockdown and travel restrictions tightened, she found herself stranded far from her home in Milan, which had become the epicenter of Italy's COVID crisis.
With nowhere else to go, Sonia retreated to her family's ancestral home in Maletto, a tiny mountain village at 960 meters above sea level on Etna's northwestern slope. Though the old house lacked running water, it held a secret treasure: an old wine press. She soon discovered that her grandfather, nicknamed "Gustinello" by locals, had once run the village's Palmento--a communal winemaking facility where residents brought their grapes for processing.
Fortune struck when Don Vincenzo, an elderly villager revealed he owned an ancient vineyard he was struggling to maintain. At 1100 meters elevation, Sonia discovered a remarkable collection of gnarled, north-facing, head-trained Grenache and Grecanico Dorato vines co-planted with other indigenous varieties, completely untouched by modern chemical farming. Sonia immediately felt that she should make wine from this site. Don Vincenzo's only request in exchange? 365 liters of wine – one for each day of the year.
Sonia revived her grandfather's old vertical press, refurbished concrete tanks, and built a small winery. Word spread quickly, and soon other villagers asked her to tend their old vineyards as well. In fall 2020, she produced her first vintage under the name "Gustinella," honoring her grandfather's legacy.
She calls the wines "Jungimmune" meaning "let's unite". She blends the fruit from the community parcels to capture stunningly delicious wines that let the terroir of Maletto speak. The high-elevation and extreme diurnal temperature shifts of these mountainous, volcanic vineyards reveal wines of remarkable purity with sun-kissed fruit balanced by electric acidity and juicy, refined tannins.
Now on her fourth vintage, Sonia continues to refine her approach and the wines are truly hitting their stride. These 2023s are extremely confident and irresistibly delicious. The Bianco is electric golden in colour with a rich texture, ripe orchard fruits and crushed mountain herbs tempered by crisp, volcanic-infused mineral grip. The Vino Di Confine is juicy and high-toned with red and black fruits and a long, cooling, mineral-drenched finish all lifted by the inclusion of white varietals, a true match made in heaven.
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