Girolamo Russo nailed it with the 2021 vintage. The wines blend beautifully ripe fruit with the richness of the warm and dry season, yet they possess a classic tannic profile that will give them a long and steady evolution. The year was fraught with warm temperatures and drought conditions throughout the summer. However, rain in late August and September brought cooler conditions that lasted through harvest—this period allowed the vines to recover before picking. The results are in the bottle, and I’m sure that fans of Giuseppe Russo’s work will be more than happy with these offerings. The differences between 2020 and 2021 are quite apparent when tasting two vintages of the San Lorenzo Piano delle Colombe side-by-side. The 2020 is a seductive showboat, but the 2021 marries elegance with power. Both are compelling. As for the upcoming 2023s, unfortunately, the estate lost about 70% of its production to downy mildew. As a result, there won’t be any cru wines. The fruit will likely go entirely into the production of the Rosso Arina.

96+ pts Wine Advocate
The Girolamo Russo 2021 Etna Rosso San Lorenzo is a very exciting wine with so much energy and verve. It opens to lean-bodied concentration with a brilliant ruby shine. The wine shows a long array of wild fruit and tiny berry aromas backed by crushed white pepper and crushed stone. San Lorenzo is one of the most impressive interpretations of Etna. I highly recommend you try and cellar this wine.

The wine is almost entirely Nerello Mascalese but also have very small amounts of Nerello Cappuccio since the varieties are co-planted. San Lorenzo is fermented in a combination of formats - 2,600 liter barrels, cement, and vat.