Benanti Etna Rosso DOC Serra della Contessa 2021
Benanti
Benanti was the first modern producer to champion Etna's volcanic vineyards, and the 2021 Serra della Contessa validates decades of commitment. This is Nerello Mascalese at its most site-specific — a wine that could come from no other place on earth. The combination of elevation, volcanic soil, and old vines delivers a red of uncommon transparency and tension.
Kit Aromas
Nose
Bright red cherry and wild strawberry leap from the glass, underscored by dried herbs, crushed violets, and a distinctive smoky-mineral note from the volcanic soil.
Palate
The palate is lithe and tensile, with sour cherry and blood orange anchored by fine-grained tannins. There's a savory undertone — dried rosemary, iron — and a persistent minerality that recalls crushed lava rock. The oak influence is restrained, adding structure without sweetness.
Finish
Long and etched, with cherry, violet, and a lingering ashy mineral quality that defines great Etna Rosso.
- Varietal
- Nerello Mascalese
- Blend
- 98% Nerello Mascalese, 2% Nerello Cappuccio
- Vineyards
- Serra della Contessa, Contrada Monte Serra, north slope of Mount Etna, 900m elevation
- Alcohol
- 14%
- Organic / Biodynamic
- No
Food Pairing
Sicilian-style swordfish rolls stuffed with breadcrumbs, capers, and pine nuts, grilled over charcoal, matching the wine's smoky minerality and bright acidity.
The Benanti family has cultivated vines on Mount Etna's northern slopes since the late 19th century, and patriarch Giuseppe Benanti revived the estate in 1988, bottling single-contrada wines years before the Etna renaissance became fashionable.
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