Winemaker Notes
Clear straw yellow with greenish shades. Powerful with distinct hints of yellow
flowers like mimosa and broom exalting fruity aromas of white peaches and ripe pears. It is a wine of great breadth; the taste is full and rich in texture with a lingering saltiness. Its lasting freshness and fragrance fill the mouth creating a unique experience that only the varietal vocation of its blend can give.|
Blend: 80% Carricante, 20% Catarratto
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A bright and clean bead of fresh lemon and bitter lemon blends nicely with dry, tufo-mineral notes on the nose. There’s an undertone of bitter herb, too. Medium-bodied with the same, focused citrus, but the flavors are dominated by the mineral elements. Tightly packed and very Etna. Give it lots of air, to draw out more fruit.
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Wine Enthusiast
Made with 80% Carricante and 20% Catarratto, this focused white has delicate, enticing aromas of white spring flowers and ripe white stone fruit. Tangy and linear, the savory palate features ripe pear, apple and white grapefruit before a saline mineral finish. Vibrant acidity gives it a crisp finish.
With hundreds of white grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended white wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used in white wine blends, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a variety that creates a soft and full-bodied white wine blend, like Chardonnay, would do well combined with one that is more fragrant and naturally high in acidity. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
A large, geographically and climatically diverse island, just off the toe of Italy, Sicily has long been recognized for its fortified Marsala wines. But it is also a wonderful source of diverse, high quality red and white wines. Steadily increasing in popularity over the past few decades, Italy’s fourth largest wine-producing region is finally receiving the accolades it deserves and shining in today's global market.
Though most think of the climate here as simply hot and dry, variations on this sun-drenched island range from cool Mediterranean along the coastlines to more extreme in its inland zones. Of particular note are the various microclimates of Europe's largest volcano, Mount Etna, where vineyards grow on drastically steep hillsides and varying aspects to the Ionian Sea. The more noteworthy red and white Sicilian wines that come from the volcanic soils of Mount Etna include Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio (reds) and Carricante (whites). All share a racy streak of minerality and, at their best, bear resemblance to their respective red and white Burgundies.
Nero d’Avola is the most widely planted red variety, and is great either as single varietal bottling or in blends with other indigenous varieties or even with international ones. For example, Nero d'Avola is blended with the lighter and floral, Frappato grape, to create the elegant, Cerasuolo di Vittoria, one of the more traditional and respected Sicilian wines of the island.
Grillo and Inzolia, the grapes of Marsala, are also used to produce aromatic, crisp dry Sicilian white. Pantelleria, a subtropical island belonging to the province of Sicily, specializes in Moscato di Pantelleria, made from the variety locally known as Zibibbo.