Nerello Cappuccio

This section covers VIVC variety number 8478 as its passport records it; the passport carries the prime name Magliocco Dolce and does not itself print the name Nerello Cappuccio. VIVC records variety 8478 as a black-skinned (noir) grape with Italy as its likely country or region of origin. The parentage of variety 8478 is unknown: both parent fields in its passport are blank, and no full pedigree is recorded. The passport lists no offspring, and WineWiki's VIVC-derived lineage data links no children or siblings to Nerello Cappuccio.

• VIVC prime name: Magliocco Dolce; variety number 8478; berry skin: noir
• Country or region of origin of variety 8478: Italy
• Parents of variety 8478: none recorded (parentage unknown)
• Offspring: none recorded in the passport; no children or siblings linked in WineWiki's lineage data

The earliest information on Nerello Cappuccio concerns the areas of Tre Castagni and Viagrande. The ampelographic bulletins of 1878 record the cultivation of a "Nerello ammantellato" in the province of Catania, Nerello Mantellato being a synonym of Nerello Cappuccio. The grape owes its name to the cape-like shape of its leaves, which protect the fruit from intense sun and wind, and for the same reason it is also called Nerello Mantellato. The Etna DOC, in whose red and rosato blends it plays a supporting part, was recognized in 1968 as the first DOC in Sicily and one of the oldest in Italy.

• Earliest records concern the Tre Castagni and Viagrande areas; the 1878 ampelographic bulletins note it in the province of Catania
• Name refers to the cape-like shape of the leaves, which shield the fruit from sun and wind
• The Etna DOC was recognized in 1968, the first DOC in Sicily and one of the oldest in Italy

Nerello Cappuccio is grown in Sicily and Calabria. On Etna, the DOC production zone lies in the province of Catania and takes in parts of communes including Randazzo, Castiglione, Linguaglossa and Santa Maria di Licodia. Vines in the zone mainly occupy land between 300 and 900 meters above sea level, reaching 1,100 meters. The nature of the soil is closely tied to its volcanic matrix, and the volcanic soils are generally loose, stony, very permeable and rich in micro-elements. Beyond Etna, the variety is used in the Faro DOC in Sicily and in the Sant'Anna di Isola Capo Rizzuto DOC.

• Etna DOC vines lie mainly between 300 and 900 meters above sea level, reaching 1,100 meters
• Etna DOC communes include Randazzo, Castiglione, Linguaglossa and Santa Maria di Licodia, all in the province of Catania
• Also used in Faro DOC in Sicily and in Sant'Anna di Isola Capo Rizzuto DOC

Nerello Cappuccio gives wines with a ruby red color deeper than that of Nerello Mascalese, with violet nuances. The nose is marked by herbaceous and spicy scents alongside floral and fruity ones, and aromas and flavors can include ripe cherry, vanilla, coffee, minerals and a slightly floral note. On the palate it shows delicate tannins and freshness, with a low alcohol content and good total acidity. It is darker in color but less tannic than Nerello Mascalese.

Benanti's varietal Nerello Cappuccio, bottled as a Terre Siciliane IGT Rosso, is picked by hand at the end of the first ten days of October and destemmed. It ferments in temperature-controlled steel with about 15 days of maceration, using a native yeast the estate selected after long experimentation, and matures only in steel for about 12 months before a further 6 months or so in bottle. The variety has a long vegetative cycle, with a medium-late budbreak and harvest.

• Benanti ferments its varietal wine in temperature-controlled steel with about 15 days of maceration and an estate-selected native yeast
• Benanti's varietal wine matures only in steel for about 12 months, then about 6 months in bottle
• Hand-harvested by Benanti at the end of the first ten days of October; the variety has a medium-late harvesting period
• In Benanti's Etna Rosso, the two Nerellos are vinified separately, and the Nerello Cappuccio matures only in steel

Benanti's Nerello Cappuccio is a pure varietal bottled as a Terre Siciliane IGT Rosso, from a vineyard in Contrada Cavaliere on the south-west slope of Etna, in the commune of Santa Maria di Licodia. The estate describes the contrada as especially suited to Nerello Cappuccio for its lower rainfall and abundant light. Outside varietal bottlings, Nerello Cappuccio appears in Etna Rosso blends, including Benanti's Etna Rosso, which blends about 80 to 85% Nerello Mascalese with about 15 to 20% Nerello Cappuccio from vineyards on the north, south-east and south-west slopes of Etna.

• Benanti Nerello Cappuccio, Terre Siciliane IGT Rosso: 100% Nerello Cappuccio from Contrada Cavaliere, matured only in steel
• Benanti Etna Rosso: about 80 to 85% Nerello Mascalese with about 15 to 20% Nerello Cappuccio

Benanti calls its varietal Nerello Cappuccio a very versatile wine, pairing it with aged cheeses and with elaborate fish or white-meat dishes.

Primary sources: https://www.vivc.de/index.php?r=passport%2Fview&id=8478 ; https://thewinesofetna.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/DOC_ETNA___Disciplinare_28_02_23.pdf ; https://thewinesofetna.com/wines/ ; https://www.benanti.it/prodotto/nerello-cappuccio/ ; https://www.benanti.it/prodotto/etna-rosso/ Reference sources: https://italianwinecentral.com/variety/nerello-cappuccio/ ; https://italianwinecentral.com/denomination/faro-doc/ Last verified 2026-10-20