This is the top red wine made by Pietradolce, and its striking black label is meant to underline its importance in the estate portfolio. The 2017 Etna Rosso Barbagalli offers a pretty garnet color and a lean to mid-weight approach. Made with fruit from pre-phylloxera vines from one of the highest elevation vineyards in the appellation (at 950 meters above sea level), this is always a study in elegance, and the integrity of the fruit transcends most problematic vintage variations thanks to the hearty resilience of the vines and their extended root systems. This wine shows composure and equilibrium with an incredibly glossy or silky quality of fruit with berry, smoke, tar and campfire ash. That old-vine concentration and power (with 15% alcohol) also comes through clearly. Only 2,500 bottles were released.- ML

Layers of smoke, ash, crushed walnuts and cranberries on the nose. It’s medium-to full-bodied with sleek, tight tannins. Lots of ripe and dried red fruit on the palate with citrus peel and tobacco, too. Precise and tight finish. Lots of old-vine magic here. Drinkable now, but better in two or three years.

(93+ points) Medicinal cherries, sweet exotic spice, dusty dried flowers and a lifting hint of camphor form a seductive bouquet as the 2017 Etna Rosso Barbagalli blossoms in the glass. This is elegant with its velvety textures and cool-toned black fruits; yet with each passing second, tension builds as bitter citrus and grippy tannins mingle toward the close. The result is a cheek-puckering and structured finale, refreshed by nuances of mint, yet also complicated by balsam herbal tones and a touch of tobacco. The Barbagalli hails from pre-phylloxera bush vines that are between 80-100 years old, growing at 950 meters on the north side of Etna. Today, it’s a bit of a beast, in need of cellaring to soften; however, it has the potential to truly shine with further maturity. -- Eric Guido

Big and concentrated, this has aromas of mature black-skinned fruit, scorched soil and menthol. Reflecting the heat of the vintage, the brawny, chewy palate offers prune marinated in spirits, licorice and vanilla alongside close-grained tannins that leave a drying finish. You'll also notice the heat of evident alcohol. Drink through 2027. KERIN O’KEEFE