Benanti Etna Bianco 2023

93 Points - Decanter

"Expressive and robust, showing powerful elegance and great textural appeal, this is a Carricante that balances classicism and modernity. Green apple, quince, and white grapefruit at the core with an elegant top layer of lemon balm, white roses and linden. Very long on the palate with focus and a delicious chalky grip that makes it linger on the palate. Lingering notes of grapefruit pith, preserved lemon and pear peel.  Drinking 2024 to 2029."

Notes from the Winemaker

Winemaking in the Benanti family can be traced back to the late 1800s in Viagrande. This deep-rooted passion for wine is what led Giuseppe Benanti to establish the namesake winery in 1988. Located on Mount Etna, “an island within the island” of Sicily, the Benanti family produces wines using 100% native grapes – Carricante, Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio. With vineyards positioned on four different slopes of the Etna volcano: North, East, South-East and South-West, the climatic influence and volcanic soils from each slope combine to create territorial wines with a “sense of place.” After 25 years at the forefront of the winery and greatly contributing to the development and growth of the whole region, Giuseppe passed the torch to his sons in 2012, Antonio and Salvino.

Grapes selected from vineyards located on the Eastern and Southern slopes of Mount Etna, which are particularly suited in terms of high elevation and abundant luminosity.

Carricante 100%, Etna’s noble autochthonous white grape variety. The berry is medium-sized with very pruinose skin that is greenish-yellow in color. The bunches are of average length and scattered. The vines are grown on sandy, volcanic soils that are rich in minerals, with sub-acid reaction. Plants range in age from 20 to 60 years and are trained in both “alberello” (head-trained bush) and spurred cordon systems, with densities of 6,000 to 7,000 vinestocks per hectare and yields of 7,000 to 8,000 kg/ha. Vineyards vary in elevation from 700 m (c. 2,300 ft) to 950 m (c. 3,100 ft) a.s.l. The climate type ranges from high hill to mountain, with a humid and rainy cooler season, high ventilation and a significant diurnal range.

The grapes are harvested by hand around mid-October, de-stemmed and soft-pressed. Fermentation lasts 12 days and takes place in stainless steel vats at a controlled temperature of 18°C, with the aid of Benanti’s own indigenous yeast, which was selected from local vineyards through years of research and experimentation in the celllar. The wine then matures in stainless steel on the fine lees for a while and then refines in the bottle for 2-3 months.