2016 Benanti Etna Rosso Riserva "Rovitello Particella No. 341", Sicily, Italy

ABOUT THIS WINE

After almost thirty years of experience vinifying the well-known Etna Rosso Rovittello, in 2015 Benanti decided to aim for new heights by focusing exclusively on the small, pre-phylloxera portion of the vineyard and extending the wine’s vinification, maturation and refining period to 60 months, thereby creating this new, exclusive Etna Rosso Riserva produced in a very limited quantity.

Terraced vineyard located in Contrada Dafara Galluzzo, in the upper area of Rovittello, part of the municipality of Castiglione di Sicilia (CT), on Etna’s Northern slope, at an elevation of 750 m a.s.l. (2,450 ft a.s.l.)

Nerello Mascalese (c.90%), Etna’s noble indigenous red variety, and Nerello Cappuccio (c.10%), cultivated on Etna for centuries. The two varieties are co-planted in the same vineyard, with a sandy, volcanic soil, rich in minerals, with sub-acid reaction. The head-trained bush vines (“alberello”) are pre-phylloxera and ungrafted, with a planting density of 9,000 to 10,000 vinestocks per hectare and a yield of 5,500 kg/ha. The area’s mountain climate is humid and rather rainy in the colder season, snowy at times, with good ventilation and very significant diurnal range.

The grapes are hand-harvested and selected in late October. Fermentation takes place in a stainless steel vat at a controlled temperature of 25° C, with a long maceration, with the aid of Benanti’s own indigenous yeast, which was selected from local vineyards through years of research and experimentation in the celllar. Malolactic fermentation takes place in stainless steel, then maturation occurs in large barrels of French oak (15hl) for about 24 months. The refining period in the bottle is 12 months.

ABOUT THIS PRODUCER

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.” Benanti is the only winery with vineyards on every slope of the Etna DOC area.

Benanti is the only winery with vineyards on every slope of the Etna DOC area.

After 25 years at the helm 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 Benanti now lead the winery with the same vision and passion as their father, continuing the reputation as a very traditional producer and the pioneer of fine wine making on Mount Etna.