When Etna Calls: Federico Curtaz
A northern Italian boy, Federico Curtaz was born in the Valle d’Aosta and raised in his mother’s homeland of Monferatto in Piedmont. However, like many before him, the captivating volcano that lured Federico south to Sicily after working for years alongside the likes of Angelo Gaja (though he won’t talk about that— leave the name dropping to us). He worked for Tenute di Fessina until 2015, then began his own namesake label. It was some combination of Etna’s tradition, history, and mystique that seemed to settle in his bones. He explains, "I love history, literature, art. In Sicily all this blends into everyday life. The charm of a story that manifests itself daily, with the visible legacies of the generations that have alternated on the island, ranging from the theaters where the ancient Greeks invented tragedy, to the Cretto di Burri. In short, the soul of man who stands on the troubles of his own life and exudes poetics, artistic sense, beauty.”
Agronomist turn oenologist, Curtaz makes wine like someone who has intimate knowledge of a vine's place - its home in the soil, the sun, the elements. I had the pleasure of tasting through some of his creations when I visited Sicily last spring. In a word, they were stunning. Although his wines demonstrate classic attributes of both place and variety profile, he captures something in these bottling that take what we have understood about Etna wines to a new level of complexity. They are exciting!
He holds only a handful of hectares on three distinct plots- each representing some of the best terroir for their respective grapes. Though Etna would seem to carry the same soil, it has seen so many movements and lava events that the diverse contradas take on soil histories that are sometimes 4,000 years different or more from one another. His Carracante comes from eastern parcels around Milo (his Kudos more specifically from the revered Contrada Rinazzo); his Nerello Mascalese hails from Biancavilla on the southern slopes of Etna; his Nero d’avola that goes into the Ananke is from Bonniscuro Syracuse near Noto (in southern Sicily, not Etna). All are named with reference to the Greek gods - reflecting the ancient history of the soils here.
These wines are special — vibrant yet rooted. They carry the sensibilities of Burgundy, an abused and overused parallel that still can’t helped but come to mind with these wines.
Federico Curtaz Etna Bianco 'Gamma' 2020
Grown on sandy volcanic soils and fermented in stainless steel tanks. As Curtaz explains, "in physics, Gamma is the notation of the Lorenz factor, an equation that relates the dilation of time to the contraction of physical quantities, discovered at the time by Einstein.” In short, this wine represents the time and space of this wine — the making of it and the emotions/conversations that come from drinking it and sharing it with others.
Federico Curtaz Etna Bianco Superiore 'Kudos' 2019
Grown on thick dark volcanic ash high in minerals - a very old vineyard with alberello training. This area gives way to compact, complex expressions of Carracante — beautiful acidity met with phenolic weight. About 750m in elevation and excellent exposure to the Ionian Sea. Aged in 25 hL barrels.
Federico Curtaz Nero d'Avola 'Ananke' 2020
This Goddess, Anake, represents destiny, necessity, and consequence. Nero coming up from Noto, this is a beautiful, clear-sighted expression more in line with Barbera (to Curtaz). Vinified and aged in inox.
Federico Curtaz Etna Rosso 'Il Purgatorio' 2018
A lovely, serious expression of Nerello Mascalese from 80 year old vines; vinified and aged in various-sized neutral barrels. To Curtaz, his Piedmonte influence really comes through in this wine.