PININ

PININ is the red wine through which Lavic Plenty of Etna makes its most complex and most storied statement. It is named, as is CLO Pinin, for Pippo Iuppa — the founder's father — but where the white carries his name in tribute, the red carries it in full homage: this is the wine that demands the most from the estate, and gives the most in return.

The grape foundation of PININ is Nerello Mascalese — the great red variety of Etna, as structurally distinctive in its territory as Pinot Noir is in Burgundy, as Nebbiolo is in Piemonte. But what distinguishes PININ from other Nerello Mascalese wines is the addition of 100-year-old, own-rooted indigenous vines — including what the estate describes as relic varieties, recovered with commitment and passion from an ancient vineyard found among the brambles on the property. These are twisted, gnarled saplings that have survived every challenge that a century on the slopes of an active volcano can deliver, and their contribution to the wine is of a kind that cannot be manufactured or accelerated: it is the irreplaceable depth that comes only from roots that have spent a hundred years learning this specific piece of volcanic earth.

The grapes come from the Contrada Salice — a genuine cru within the Milo zone of Etna, with the ideal exposure of the terraces, medium-textured lava soil, and the broad temperature range that marks the finest sites on the mountain's eastern slope. Every bunch is the product of meticulous selection, of the careful vinification methods the estate has refined over years of understanding this particular terroir.

After temperature-controlled vinification, PININ matures for eight months in a combination of stainless steel tanks and French oak tonneaux — a hybrid approach that allows both the fruit to develop freely and the structure to receive the gentle integration that oak contact at this level provides. Eight further months in bottle follow before release, ensuring that the wine arrives in the best possible condition to the table.

The result is a wine of genuine individuality. The colour is a deep ruby typical of Nerello Mascalese at its most concentrated. The nose is perfumed and complex — red fruit, volcanic mineral, floral nuance, and the particular aromatic signature of very old vines. On the palate, the tannins are firm but refined, the acidity is fresh and sustaining, and the finish is long with the mineral persistence that is Etna's most distinctive signature. PININ is available through UniqueWines in strictly limited quantities.