Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
A few swirls of the glass release this white's heady stone fruit, Spanish broom and Mediterranean brush aromas. Mirroring the nose, the vibrant palate delivers green apple, lemon, tangerine and white peach flavors framed by crisp acidity. It has nice length and a hint of ginger that caps the finish.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: How many of you have ever tasted Carricante? This grape, prominent in the Etna Bianco DOC, is largely unknown to most of the wine world. I don't recall trying many Etna Biancos, but one taste of this wine makes want to research this area more shortly. The 2016 Tornatore Etna Bianco—made from 100% Carricante—is one of the most impressive white wines I have tasted this year. Its racy, ripe fruit aromas and flavors show up with plenty of strength and persistence. I can imagine this wine with a couple of dozen raw oysters. (Tasted: April 5, 2018, San Francisco, CA USA)
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James Suckling
Lots of pear drops and apples as well as pomelo. Full, dense palate with tangy acidity and a fruity finish. Drink now.
Carricante has grown on the slopes of Sicily’s Mt. Etna for the last thousand years. It is the dominant grape in Etna Bianco DOC blends, with Catarratto as a possible minor blending partner. The best examples come from volcanic soils at higher altitudes where a large diurnal temperature shift allows slow and steady ripening and the development of Carricante’s naturally high acidity. Somm Secret—A vine variety capable of high yields if not tended to properly, Carricante gets its name from, carica, the Italian word for “load.”
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.