First, a little story on how this wine made its way onto our shelves: it was this summer when Todd our Winebar Manager and John went to Mozza in Newport Beach for a late supper and tried a sparkling Rose wine from Sicily. Todd thought it was extraordinary and would make a great addition to Hi-Time, and told his associates. A few weeks later Todd and the Hi-Time crew took another trip to Mozza, and Veronica flipped when she tried this sparkling Nerello Mascalese. She emailed a picture of the bottle to their Champagne buyer Jim, telling him of this wonderful sparking wine. It was produced by the Sicilian estate, Murgo, but not much else was known about the producer. The next day, she did some research to find out who distributed the wine and relayed the info to Jim, who called the distributor to taste him on the sparkling Nerello Mascalese. Lo and behold, Jim was a fan too, and in a few days this wine had found a home at Hi-Time. Sometimes, it takes a village.
This Sicilian estate is located 1,700 feet above sea level on the southeast portion of Mount Etna (an active volcano), and has been producing wines from these volcanic soils since 1850. This wine is made in Metodo Classico, the same way in which they make Champagne. Most people have not heard of a Nerello Mascalese, not to mention a sparkling Nerello Mascalese, however Murgo has done an excellent job at making themselves known. Murgo received honorable mention for their sparkling wines from Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson in their book, “The Concise World Atlas of Wine.”
WINERY NOTES: "The great acidity, the low concentration in color and many other elements that come from the terroir, make these grapes very suitable for the production of sparkling wines made with the Classic Method. We obtain a wine with great personality that lends itself to interesting combinations with high-class gastronomy." VINOUS 93 POINTS - "Sweet herbs blend with wet stones, strawberries and hints of lemon sorbet as the 2023 Brut Rosato blossoms in the glass. It opens with a cascade of mineral offset by ripe orchard fruits, as a core of zesty acidity guides its silken bubbles across the palate. The 2023 leaves a pleasantly tart sensation that puckers the cheeks as nuances of orange and ginger fade."
This Sicilian estate is located 1,700 feet above sea level on the southeast portion of Mount Etna (an active volcano), and has been producing wines from these volcanic soils since 1850. This wine is made in Metodo Classico, the same way in which they make Champagne. Most people have not heard of a Nerello Mascalese, not to mention a sparkling Nerello Mascalese, however Murgo has done an excellent job at making themselves known. Murgo received honorable mention for their sparkling wines from Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson in their book, “The Concise World Atlas of Wine.”
WINERY NOTES: "The great acidity, the low concentration in color and many other elements that come from the terroir, make these grapes very suitable for the production of sparkling wines made with the Classic Method. We obtain a wine with great personality that lends itself to interesting combinations with high-class gastronomy." VINOUS 93 POINTS - "Sweet herbs blend with wet stones, strawberries and hints of lemon sorbet as the 2023 Brut Rosato blossoms in the glass. It opens with a cascade of mineral offset by ripe orchard fruits, as a core of zesty acidity guides its silken bubbles across the palate. The 2023 leaves a pleasantly tart sensation that puckers the cheeks as nuances of orange and ginger fade."
