2021 I Custodi, Etna Rosso "Pistus"

Twenty years ago, no one was talking about wine from Mount Etna. Now, nobody can stop. Much of the thanks goes to a man named Salvo Foti. This immensely talented, fiercely dedicated viticulturist and winemaker began work as a consultant in Eastern Sicily in 1981 and has played an outsized role in Etna’s rise to prominence. His main preoccupation has been the rehabilitation of old, abandoned vineyards on Mount Etna (of which there are many), and the launch of “I Vigneri” in 2001, its name a reference to a vine-growers’ association first established on Etna in 1435. Mario Paoluzi was one of Salvo’s first students/partners, and has been making pure Etna terroir his focus at “I Custodi” for almost two decades now. Together, they produce wines at the pinnacle of Sicilian greatness. And given all that “Pistus” is a tremendous value to boot!   BONUS: We also have small amounts of Mario’s top wine “Aetneus.” Made from very old vines at extremely high altitudes, and released after many years of