Pietradolce is in Solicchiata, on the slopes of Etna. The name honours the lava stone that shapes the landscape here, and the logo is a triangle that follows the outline of the volcano. The labels carry an image called Donna Vulcano.
They work only with Carricante and Nerello Mascalese, both local grapes. Most of the vines are pre-phylloxera, between 90 and 150 years old, and they're trained as traditional alberello bushes. The soil is sandy loam rich in minerals, and each plot has a different composition.
The cellar follows the same logic. Fermentation happens in small tulip-shaped raw concrete tanks of 40 hectolitres each, in a tinaia insulated by lava stone walls. The reds age in oak barrels in an underground barrel cellar, and a caveau next to it holds older vintages. The building itself uses volcanic rock, iron, wood and vineyard soil.
Not tasted yet
I haven't reviewed a wine from Pietradolce yet. They're on my Top 100 list, which is built from awards.