Frank Cornelissen owns 19 hectares of vineyards in the North Valley on the side of Mount Etna where his farming philosophy is based on, “our acceptance of the fact that man will never understand nature’s full complexities.” Sage advice for someone making wine on an active volcano!

Frank’s goal with his “Classico” is to create a wine that is “liquid stone”. Indigenous grapes, Carricante & Grecanico Dorato, are exposed to a brief skin maceration to emphasize the fruit’s purity and freshness, shying away from a heavier orange wine style.

A longer maturation process and low intervention ensures that the natural mineral density in the juice develops without any wood barrel manipulation. Neutral epoxy tanks and amphoras are used to allow the wine to nourish with the fine lees.

The result is a wine with an underlying smoky volcanic core, crushed rock and flint grip and persistent mineral finish. The palate and aromatics burst over all that terroir with a big orchard fruit presence!