Benanti Etna Bianco Superiore Pietra Marina 2022
Benanti
Pietra Marina is arguably Sicily's greatest white wine, and the 2022 vintage continues the tradition. Carricante from Etna's highest vineyards delivers a rare combination of power and precision — it has the depth to age but the freshness to drink now. If you want to understand what volcanic soil tastes like in a glass, start here.
Nose
Intensely mineral — wet stone and crushed flint — with layers of white peach, citrus blossom, and a saline edge. Lemon zest and a faint almond quality emerge with time.
Palate
Medium-bodied with razor-like acidity and a tightly wound structure. Green apple and citrus dominate the palate, wrapped in a chalky, almost ashy minerality that defines the volcanic terroir. A honeyed richness develops midpalate without softening the wine's essential tension.
Finish
Exceptionally long, with persistent mineral salinity, citrus pith, and a fading note of toasted almond.
- Varietal
- Carricante
- Blend
- 100% Carricante
- Vineyards
- Contrada Monte Serra, eastern slope of Mount Etna, 950m elevation, volcanic soils rich in ash and mineral deposits
- Alcohol
- 12.5%
- Organic / Biodynamic
- No
- Skin Contact
- No
Food Pairing
Spaghetti ai ricci di mare — the sea urchin's briny sweetness and the wine's saline minerality create a natural partnership, with a drizzle of good olive oil and a hit of chili flake to tie it together.
Produced by the Benanti family from 80-year-old Carricante vines planted at 950 meters on Etna's eastern slope in Contrada Monte Serra, where the volcanic soils and altitude produce one of Italy's most age-worthy whites.
Be the first to comment.
Leave a comment
Domaine des Roches Neuves Saumur Blanc Terres Chaudes 2023
Domaine des Roches Neuves
Thierry Germain's biodynamically farmed Chenin Blanc from the Terres Chaudes parcel delivers a wine where the tuffeau limestone substrate is as much a character as the grape. Wood plays virtually no role here — the expression is all terroir, acid, and fruit. A white wine for those who believe restraint is its own form of generosity.
Donnafugata Ben Ryé Passito di Pantelleria DOC 2022
Donnafugata
Ben Ryé is Italy's most celebrated passito, made from Zibibbo grapes sun-dried on the wind-blasted volcanic island of Pantelleria. The heat of the African-influenced climate concentrates sugars, but Donnafugata's meticulous winemaking preserves acidity and freshness. A dessert wine that transcends the category.
Domaine Leflaive Mâcon-Verzé 2022
Domaine Leflaive
Domaine Leflaive's Mâcon-Verzé is a masterclass in value from one of Burgundy's most respected white wine producers. The biodynamic farming and careful winemaking bring a precision to Mâconnais Chardonnay that elevates it well beyond its appellation. For those priced out of Puligny, this is the door in.
Chablis Premier Cru Fourchaume 2022
Domaine William Fèvre
This is essence before ornament made manifest in a glass. Where many Chablis producers chase richness or oak influence, William Fèvre's Fourchaume 2022 trusts the terroir to do the talking. The Kimmeridgian fossil-studded limestone shines through with uncompromising clarity. Alongside the issue's other selections — the unadorned honesty of Old Bardstown Estate, the single-estate purity of Tequila Ocho, the stripped-back integrity of Benromach Organic — this Chablis reminds us that the most eloquent wines are those that get out of the way of what the earth has already said.