Frank Cornelissen Magma Etna Rosso 2019

Frank Cornelissen is a Belgian-born winemaker who established his estate on Mount Etna's northern slopes in 2001, beginning with just 0.40 hectares of vines. The son of a wine broker, Cornelissen grew up immersed in fine wine—his first purchases included a case of 1972 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. After working as an importer specializing in rare Burgundy and Bordeaux, a transformative encounter with Georgian wines in the 1990s redirected his understanding toward minimal-intervention winemaking.

He chose Etna deliberately, drawn by the volcanic terroir's capacity to produce profoundly mineral wines from Nerello Mascalese—a variety he describes as falling between Pinot Noir and Nebbiolo. His estate now spans approximately 24 hectares between 600 and 1,000 meters elevation, with 13 hectares of old alberello-trained vines and additional plantings in modern rows. Olive groves, fruit trees, and beehives occupy the remaining land, reducing monoculture and fostering biodiversity.

Magma represents the pinnacle of Cornelissen's production—his "Grand Vin" from Contrada Barbabecchi, where ungrafted centenarian vines planted around 1910 capture the morning sun at 910 meters elevation. The wine is made only in exceptional vintages when phenolic ripeness is achieved. Production is limited to approximately 2,000 bottles annually.

Cornelissen's philosophy centers on observation rather than intervention. He avoids vineyard treatments when possible and vinifies without additives. Early vintages were deliberately experimental—he once described his goal as creating "liquid stone." His approach has evolved toward greater balance, with wines now showing fruit alongside the signature volcanic minerality. Fermentations proceed spontaneously with indigenous yeasts in neutral epoxy tanks, and bottling occurs without fining.

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Mount Etna dominates Sicily's northeastern landscape, Europe's tallest and most active volcano rising to 3,357 meters. The wine region occupies the mountain's slopes between 400 and 1,100 meters, where vineyards have been cultivated for millennia on terraces carved from successive lava flows. This volcanic terrain produces wines unlike any other in Italy, with growing conditions that differ dramatically from Sicily's hot coastal zones.

The soils consist primarily of decomposed basalt, pumice, mineral ash, and solidified lava—deposits that vary considerably between the numerous contrade (vineyard districts) that define Etna's viticultural identity. The northern valley, where Frank Cornelissen's Barbabecchi vineyard is located near Solicchiata, is particularly prized. This area is now compared to Burgundy's Côte de Nuits or Piedmont's Barolo zone for its capacity to produce site-specific wines of singular character.

Altitude plays a crucial role in Etna viticulture. Vineyards at 900+ meters experience significant diurnal temperature variation—warm days followed by cool nights—that preserves natural acidity while achieving full aromatic development. The 2019 vintage brought a concentration that Cornelissen described as "Pinot-ish," with cool weather before harvest contributing depth and complexity while keeping alcohol levels below 14%.

Nerello Mascalese is the dominant red variety, often described as falling stylistically between Pinot Noir and Nebbiolo—transparent in color yet structured and age-worthy. Many of Etna's oldest vines remain ungrafted on their own roots; phylloxera never established in the porous volcanic soils. Traditional alberello (bush vine) training predominates, with some vineyards dating to the early 1900s when Etna wines were exported to supplement phylloxera-ravaged Burgundy harvests.

The Etna DOC was established in 1968, though many producers bottle under the Terre Siciliane IGT for greater winemaking flexibility.

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