Fly Fishing

 

Nothing much to do with wine, but Fly Fishing is a grapecircus passion. #justsaying

 

The Catch
The Flies
The Patience

Ayunta

It took Filippo Mangione only a handful of harvests to bring Ayunta from “one to watch” to “cult” status. 

The Wines

Etna Bianco 'Piante Sparse'

Nerello Mascalese Rosso

Etna Rosso 'Navigabile'

Rosato Frizzante Metodo Ancestrale

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Etna Bianco 'Piante Sparse'

Piante Sparse is Italian for "stray vines" which is the story of this wine. In amongst the old red vines in the vineyards on the north slopes of Mount Etna are interspersed the occasional white grape vine. It's not known whether these were initially planted to be included in the red wine blends or to produce table grapes. However, owner Filippo Mangione has mapped these vines and in good years he harvests the grapes to produce this wine. The grapes are fermented using natural yeasts in stainless steel and the wine aged in stainless steel before bottling.

quick facts

APPELLATION: IGT Etna Bianco
VINTAGE: 2019
STYLE: white
GRAPES: Carricante, Cattarato
FARMING: organic
FERMENTATION: stainless steel
MATURATION: stainless steel
FILTRATION: filtered
ALCOHOL: 12.5%
CASE SIZE: 6

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Nerello Mascalese Rosso

Vinification/Ageing: old vines, no chemicals, no additives. 3 day maceration, in the traditional method "pista e'mmutta" meaning "to press it and put in the barrel straight away". 10% to 15% undergoes carbonic maceration followed by 6 months ageing in cement.

Description: A light and crispy red, refreshing and able to match fruitiness and minerality with an irresistible drinkability. A very traditional and easy going red wine from Etna.

quick facts

APPELLATION: Sicilia DOC
VINTAGE: 2020
STYLE: red
GRAPE: Nerello mascalese
FARMING: organic
FERMENTATION: stainless steel
MATURATION: cement
FILTRATION: unfiltered
ALCOHOL: 12.5%
CASE SIZE: 6

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Etna Rosso 'Navigabile'

Navigabile, means ‘able to be shipped by sail’ and historically indicated a merchant’s top wine, the one which would maintain its quality even after being transported long distances.

The wines are fermented with ambient yeasts in open vats and aged in big old barrels, both oak and chestnut. Just enough SO2 is added to protect the wine on its journey from the winery to the shelves, to make it ‘navigabile’.  Julia Harding

quick facts

APPELLATION: IGT Etna Rosso
VINTAGE: 2018
STYLE: white
GRAPES: Nerello Mascalese & capuccio
FARMING: organic
FERMENTATION: open vats
MATURATION: oak
FILTRATION: unfiltered
ALCOHOL: 14.5%
CASE SIZE: 6

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Rosato Frizzante Metodo Ancestrale

This Sparkling Rosato from the small Sicilian Ayunta winery is produced with the so-called "Ancestral Method". Nerello Mascalese is harvested very early; the fermentation then begins in a steel tank but the wine is subsequently bottled when the fermentation is not yet completed, thus allowing the carbon dioxide to form in bottle. Remaining in the bottle, the carbon dioxide is transformed into a subtle and pleasant effervescence and the resulting wine is fresh, thirst-quenching and highly drinkable; saline like all Etna wines.

quick facts

APPELLATION:
VINTAGE: NV
STYLE: sparkling
GRAPE: nerello mascalese,
FARMING: organic
FERMENTATION: stainless steel
MATURATION: oak
FILTRATION: filtered
ALCOHOL: 11.5%
CASE SIZE: 6

Ayunta

It took Filippo Mangione only a handful of harvests to bring Ayunta from “one to watch” to “cult” status. 5.8 hectares of incredibly old vines in Calderara Sottana on the northern slopes of Etna planted in the old way: a mixture of white and red grapes, different varietals -in many cases unknown- all goblet trained. This together with an incredibly traditional winemaking approach that starts with open vat fermentations, and long macerations and ageing in neutral barrels (chestnut, cherry-tree and a small percentage of oak) give us some of the most intriguing wines we ever tasted. It goes without saying that no chemicals or additives are used.