Tanca Nica is, in a word: other-worldly. Those who’ve tasted know it’s more than just (rare!) dry wine from Pantelleria – it’s a thought-provoking, highly specific expression of volcanic terroir.

A new release is here, including the (even more rare) single plot “Grand Cru” bottlings. It’s Friday, so we’ve got Cliffs Notes below – and you can find more on Tanca Nica and Pantelleria here.

Tanca Nica is the work of Francesco and Nicoletta Ferreri who, plot by plot, are reviving Pantelleria’s ancient techniques of bush trained viticulture and natural winemaking. Pantelleria being a 32 square mile windswept, volcanic island “off the coast of Sicily” but truly closer to Tunisia than anywhere else.

Of course, they are using native grapes with a focus on macerated Zibbibo, for a style that is intensely phenolic, saline, and: sophisticated.

SHOP TANCA NICA

2023 Tanca Nica 'Ghirbi Bianco' Vino Frizzante, Pantelleria, Italy $63
From second-growth Zibbibo fruit (second growth here meaning the grape bunches which grow after the main harvest). Since quantities are so tiny, it's not made every vintage. Macerated overnight and fermented in stainless steel, bottled a la pet-nat.

2023 Tanca Nica 'Soki Soki', Pantelleria, Italy $63
A full snapshot of Pantelleria: old vine Zibbibo from 11 plots across 6 villages (which says a lot for such a tiny island). "Soki soki" translates to soil + pumice, the island's terroir composition. Vinified 50/50 in wood and demijohns, then aged in amphora; it's the most bright fruited and aromatic white in the lineup, but still so expressive of their serious, reverent style.

2023 Tanca Nica 'Firri Firri' Rosso, Pantelleria, Italy $63
A co-fermented that reads like a Jura red that’s been marooned on a deserted island. 85% Catarratto, 10% Pignatello and 5% Inzolia, it's really kind of a white wine that's flecked with wild Pignatello grapes lingering in the vineyards. A refreshing bottle that walks the line between rosato and red with aromas of rose hips and volcanic energy.

2023 Tanca Nica 'Terra Forte' Pantelleria, Italy $80
A blend of two old vine Zibbibo plots (one of which is pushing 100 years old), vinified separately. Destemmed, macerated for 10 days, then aged in steel, fiberglass and chestnut barrel. It's a powerful, structured segue into the single plot bottlings.

SINGLE PLOT BOTTLINGS:

2022 Tanca Nica Etichetta Yellow Label Vino Bianco $90
From a Zibbibo plot in the Cufurà district, where the soil is primarily yellow pumice. Destemmed by hand, then fermented and aged in 54L demijohns, no sulfur added. The most delicate of the single plot bottlings, with aromas of Mediterranean brush (maquis), wild thyme.

2022 Tanca Nica Etichetta Red Label Bianco $90
From a younger Zibbibo vineyard, located in the San Marco district where the ripest grapes on the island (and ancient Carthaginian ruins) are found. With intense summer heat here plus naturally occurring oxidation, the fruit quality reads more raisinated. It's an especially dense bottling, the most structured of the single plots.

2022 Tanca Nica Etichetta Black Label Bianco $90
From a Zibbibo plot in the Khaggiar district, where the soil is primarily hard black basalt. Destemmed by hand, then fermented and aged in 54L demijohns, no sulfur added. Structured similar to the Red Label, but with more mineral cut.