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Frank Cornelissen

Munjebel Rosso CS 2018

Price: $89.95
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Tasting notes

The CS site sits lower on Etna's northern valley than most of Cornelissen's other single-vineyard crus, and the ungrafted, lava-encircled vines planted in 1925 produce a wine with notably firmer tannin and a more closed, Nebbiolo-like profile that rewards patience. After extended bottle aging, it opens into cherry, ash, dried herbs, and a mineral edge that is unmistakably volcanic.

BodyFruitTanninAcidity
CherryMushroomEarthDried Herbs
  • Style: Dry, full-bodied red; translucent ruby; volcanic, earthy, and firmly tannic; Nerello Mascalese from ungrafted 1925 vines
  • Grapes & Terroir: 100% Nerello Mascalese; organic; ungrafted vines planted 1925; contrada Zottorinoto (Chiusa Spagnolo), 620m elevation; basalt and lava rock soils, Etna northern valley
  • Winemaking: Hand-harvested; destemmed and lightly crushed; pied-de-cuve with indigenous yeasts; ~50 days skin contact; 18 months in neutral epoxy tanks; 18 months bottle age before release; unfined; 5-micron filtered; SO2 15-50 mg/L
  • Serving: Serve at 62-65F; decant 45-60 minutes; opens considerably with air
  • Pairing: Braised lamb, grilled swordfish with capers, aged pecorino, porcini mushroom risotto, roasted rabbit
  • Similar To: For fans of Barolo or red Burgundy who want volcanic Sicilian terroir and natural-wine transparency

The Munjebel Rosso CS comes from Cornelissen's ungrafted vineyard in contrada Zottorinoto, specifically the section called Chiusa Spagnolo on Etna's northern valley floor. The vines were planted around 1925 at 620 meters elevation, lower than most of Cornelissen's other crus, and are surrounded by lava rock formations. Being ungrafted and sited at a lower altitude gives this wine a more backward, tannic structure that Cornelissen himself compares to Nebbiolo.

Grapes are hand-harvested, destemmed, and lightly crushed. Fermentation is initiated with a pied-de-cuve of indigenous yeasts, followed by approximately 50 days of skin contact. The wine then ages 18 months in neutral epoxy tanks ranging from 1,500 to 2,500 liters, and a further 18 months in bottle before release. It is unfined and lightly filtered through 5-micron cartridges. Sulfur additions vary from 15 to 50 mg/L depending on vintage stability.

The 2018 vintage on Etna produced wines that tend toward the delicate and precise end of the spectrum, with bright red fruit and fresh acidity rather than concentration. The CS site, with its distinctive lava-surrounded amphitheater, adds depth and firm tannin structure even in lighter vintages. Expect cherry, dried herbs, volcanic ash, mushroom, and leather, with high natural acidity and a long, mineral finish.

The wine is labeled Terre Siciliane IGP rather than Etna DOC, a classification choice that allows Cornelissen greater flexibility in his winemaking approach. Farming is certified organic across the estate.

The firm tannins and high acidity make this a natural match for braised lamb, grilled swordfish with capers, or aged pecorino. It also works well alongside earthy dishes like porcini mushroom risotto or roasted rabbit with herbs.

Wine details

Dry/Sweet:, Dry
Wine Type:, Red Wine
Wine Style:, Full Body
Grapes:, Nerello Mascalese
Farming:, Organic
Vintage:, 2018
Alcohol:,
Country:, Italy
Region:, Sicily
Appellation:, Terre Siciliane IGP
Bottle Size:, 750ml
Sugar Level:, Zero Added Sugar

We will process and ship your order in 2-3 business days, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking as soon as the Carrier scans the shipping label.

Ground shipping time depends on location, here's a breakdown:

West Coast: 1-2 business days
Midwest: 3-4 business days
East Coast: 5 business days

Process time is not shipping time. Shipping time starts from the days successive to the day of shipping, after the order has been processed.

See here our shipping policy.


Important Compliance Requirements

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If you'd like to receive a refund for a package that was returned to us after FedEx made three delivery attempts, we can do that but we must keep a $20 refund fee; FedEx charges us a lot of money for returns, unfortunately, I can't stress this enough.


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Placed an order. What next?

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2. As soon as your order ships from the warehouse, usually within 2-3 business days, this applies to all shipping rates, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with your tracking information. 2DAY shipping refers to shipping time; we still need 2-3 business days to prepare an order. We need to pick and pack, QA, add printed collateral, and palletize the orders.

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Returns Policy

If you are not satisfied with your purchase, please contact us at (424) 414-2040 or via e-mail at hello@primalwine.com between 9 am and 5 pm Pacific Standard Time, Monday through Sunday, we would like to understand and try to solve your concerns. We can offer refunds only as store credit.

Producer profile

Frank Cornelissen

Frank Cornelissen was born in Belgium and worked as a wine broker before relocating to Mount Etna in 2001, when the region had virtually no international profile. He produced his first vintage that year starting with approximately 0.40 hectares of ungrafted vines. A 1999 lunch with natural winemaker Giusto Occhipinti, during which they shared a bottle of Etna wine, is cited as the pivotal moment that drew him to the region. His estate now spans approximately 24 hectares on Etna's northern valley.

Cornelissen farms organically and without herbicides or pesticides across his holdings. Approximately 13 hectares are planted in the traditional free-standing alberello (bush vine / gobelet) system, with the remainder trained in rows. He has interplanted fruit trees and keeps bees to support ecosystem diversity. Grape yields are deliberately low, around 300 to 600 grams per vine for top crus, achieved through short dormant-season pruning. Harvest is done by hand, typically from mid-October into early November in multiple passes to achieve phenolic ripeness.

In the cellar, Cornelissen initiates fermentation with a pied-de-cuve of indigenous yeasts rather than inoculated cultures. For the single-vineyard Munjebel crus, skin contact runs approximately 50 days, followed by 18 months of aging in neutral epoxy tanks (1,500 to 2,500 liters) and a further 18 months in bottle before release. Wines are unfined and pass through 5-micron cartridge filtration. Sulfur additions vary from 15 to 50 mg/L depending on vintage conditions and wine stability, a pragmatic shift from his earlier zero-sulfur position.

Wine region

Sicily, Italy

Sicily is Italy's largest wine region and the Mediterranean's biggest island, covering roughly 25,460 square kilometers. The island holds 23 DOCs, one DOCG (Cerasuolo di Vittoria), and the island-wide Terre Siciliane IGP. The climate is Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. Mount Etna, Europe's largest active volcano at 3,330 meters, dominates the eastern interior and creates a cooler, higher-altitude microclimate with greater rainfall than the rest of the island, producing wines of high natural acidity and pronounced minerality.

Etna DOC, established in 1968, was Sicily's first DOC and covers vineyards planted between 400 and 1,200 meters on the volcano's slopes. Etna Rosso requires a minimum of 80% Nerello Mascalese. The northern valley, running through municipalities such as Castiglione di Sicilia, is considered the top zone for single-vineyard red wines, with distinct contrade (named parcels) differentiated by the age and composition of their lava flows. Black volcanic basalt soils dominate, delivering the high mineral content and low pH that define the region's most expressive reds. Some producers, including Cornelissen, bottle under the broader Terre Siciliane IGP to allow greater flexibility.

Frequently asked question

We will process and ship your order in 2-3 business days, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking as soon as the Carrier scans the shipping label.

Ground shipping time depends on location, here's a breakdown:

West Coast: 1-2 business days
Midwest: 3-4 business days
East Coast: 5 business days

Process time is not shipping time. Shipping time starts from the days successive to the day of shipping, after the order has been processed.

See here our shipping policy.

Signature on delivery is mandatory for wine deliveries. Please make sure someone is at the shipping address to sign for the package.

If applicable, please consider delivering the package to a business address to ensure someone is available to sign for the package.

We also have the option of delivering the package to a Carrier's store for pickup. Please reach out to us to coordinate.

Carrier will try to delivery a package up to three times before returning the package to us.

See here our shipping policy.

If you miss a delivery and a package gets returned to us we have two options:

1) Reship the package right away: due to the very high cost of shipping and returns, we must charge a re-shipping fee to be determined based on package size and shipping destination.

2) Consolidate the returned package with your next order: this option is free of charge and it's the most popular option.

See here our shipping policy.

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