Cornelissen/Frank Munjebel MC Monte Colla Terre Siciliane Rosso 2020

96 points James Suckling: "Lovely cool berry, orange blossom, pumice, smoke and lava aromas, but subtle and complex. Bark and mushroom, too. Full-bodied and very structured with powerful tannins that are polished and thought-provoking. This needs time to soften. Clearly one for the cellar. Best after 2026. (8/4/23)"

94 points Monica Larner (Wine Advocate): "Born in an area that is celebrated locally for its delicious cherries, the 2020 Etna Rosso Contrada Monte Colla MC delivers punchy red fruit flavors with rose, lilac and hints of powdered licorice root. There is a subtle play of fruit versus floral intensity in this wine. The vineyards enjoy heavier soils, with clay in part, that are rich in silicon at 780 meters in elevation. The vines were planted in 1948 and 1949 with south-southwest exposures, where they get the last light of the day. These are ancient soils, and marine fossils are sometimes found on Monte Colle. Geologically speaking, this site is unique in the Etna context. Drink: 2022-2030. (6/30/23)"

Frank Cornelissen's Munjebel Rosso "MC" is one of the most elegant expressions of Etna's Nerello Mascalese, increasingly a pilgrimage destination for all lovers of great wines. Frank started making Munjebel from individual contrade, the local geographical mentions, and this monolithic red comes from the clay and sandy vineyards of Monte Colla. On the nose there are fine hints of red and black fruit, which give way to enveloping citrus fruits aromas and typical mineral hints, a trademark of the volcano. The palate surprises with finesse, despite an important structure and great warmth, which meets a distinct and enveloping sapidity.