So far, the best Etna Bianco that I’ve tasted. 100% Carricante; $39 on Wine.com; vineyards at 600M on the north slopes of Etna. But over the next few months, I’m going to taste many more.
Alta Mora – “nelle contrade alle pendici del vulcano” (from districts on the slopes of the volcano) – comes from the Cusumano brothers.
Like the other Etna Biancos, it was light gold in color, with a nose of apple, pear and ginger. No obvious signs of oak ageing. Round in the mouth, with medium+ acidity, it struck me as tasting very similar to the Planeta Chardonnay that helped me fall in love with Sicilian wine. There’s also a slight bitterness on the finish: chalk, almonds, oyster shell?
My wife and I are about to take our first adults-only vacation in more than a decade.
We’re going to Sicily in January 2024.
I love my kids (two sets of twin boys: 14 and 11) but I can’t wait to leave them with their Grandma for a week.
To prepare for the trip, I’ve already read John Julius Norwich’s “Sicily: An Island at the Crossroads of History,” Robert Camuto’s “Palmento: A Sicilian Wine Odyssey,” and taken Benjamin North Spencer’s “New Wines of Mount Etna” online course. I’m also working my way through Bill Nesto’s “The World of Sicilian Wine.” I’m improving my Italian (yes, I know, Sicilian is different) and scouring Pinterest and other sites for unique experiences.
I can’t wait to get on that plane. And I couldn’t wait for the trip to try some Sicilian wines. A box of eight Etna Biancos, Etna Rossos and Cerasuolo di Vittorias just arrived from Wine.com today. So let’s begin the pre-trip tasting!
What is Etna Bianco?
If the volcanic peak of Mount Etna is the center of a clock, than the Etna DOC is a crescent of land that arcs from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m..
Etna Bianco DOC must have a minimum of 60% Carricante grapes, with the balance usually provided by its blending partner, Catarratto.
What is a Palmento?
You’ll see this word a lot in Sicily and on wine labels. Palmento is the name for the pre-industrial, gravity-fed, questionably-hygienic winemaking facilities that existed across Sicily a few hundred years ago. Today, you can’t make wine using an old-school palmento. But that doesn’t stop producers from tapping into the OG cred.
OK, enough showing off, let’s talk about the wine!
Palmento Constanzo is a major producer on the north slopes of Mount Etna. Their winemaking facility and tasting room looks amazing. It’s on my list to visit.
Their Etna Bianco ‘Mofete’ was a light golden color, with a nose of green apple and pear and no obvious signs of oak ageing. Acidity was medium-high. I don’t understand the comparison of Carricante to Sauvignon Blanc at all. It tasted rather like a Lugana to me (Trebbiano), fuller than a SB but certainly not as rounded as a warm climate Chardonnay. I don’t know enough about Catarratto to pinpoint its influence, but I later learned that this blend is 70% Carricante / 30% Catarratto.
Did the wine blow my mind? No. Was it pleasant to drink? Yes. Could I destroy two bottles of this with lunch? Absolutely.
I’m excited to try an Etna Bianco Superiore later this week. The rules are that a Superiore must be at least 80% Carricante and come from the contrade (districts) located near the town of Milo on the eastern slopes of Mount Etna.
Brixen Mortar Wines 