Wine Details

Cottanera Contrada Calderara Etna Bianco DOC

The Carricante grapes for the Etna Bianco Contrada Calderara come from 45 years old vines in the Calderara contrada, one of Etna’s most highly regarded Cru. The soil in this vineyard is a mixture of black pumice and basalt, the result of thousands of years of lava flows and volcanic deposits and enhances the typical minerality of the Carricante variety. Welcoming perfumes of lemon flowers, elderflower, chamomile, bergamot, sage and fresh oregano are intertwined with white peach and yellow plum. A saline vitality explodes on the palate, enhancing the wine’s supple body. This is undoubtedly a white wine destined for ageing.

Region:

Producer:

Cottanera

Classification:

ETNA DOC

Variety:

100% Carricante

Number of bottles produced:

5,600 bottles

Production area:

Contrada Calderara, Castiglione di Sicilia

Altitude:

750 meters (2460 feet) a.s.l.

Age of vines:

45 years

Yield:

5,000 kg/ha

Training:

Espalier

Vinification:

Cold maceration for about 24 hours, followed by cold setting; 40% of the must ferments in French oak tonneaux, the remainder in cement tank.

Refining:

40% in French oak tonneaux on lees, the remainder in cement tank

Alcohol content:

12.5%

pH level:

3.36

Acidity:

5.9 g/l

Soil:

Lava-alluvial and lava clay

Harvest:

First week of October - manual, with small crates

Recent press reviews

93

Cottanera Contrada Calderara Etna Bianco DOC 2022

Wine Advocate (93)- "The Cottanera 2022 Etna Bianco Contrada Calderara shows a glossy off-gold color with aromas of citrus cream, blanched almond and minty apple. Those rich fruit flavors are framed by dusty mineral tones of sea salt and volcanic ash. Hot vintage conditions tend to underline the lemony quality of this mid-weight white, adding preserved lemon with a hint of exotic spice on the close."

92

Cottanera Contrada Calderara Etna Bianco DOC 2022

James Suckling (92)- "Lemons, jasmine, white flowers and blanched almonds on the nose. Creamy and textured with a medium body, fresh acidity and a delicious, lengthy finish. Carricante."

91

Cottanera Contrada Calderara Etna Bianco DOC 2022

Vinous Media (91)- "The 2022 Etna Bianco Calderara opens slowly with a nuanced blend of young peaches, rubbed sage, stone dust and sweet spice, keeping the glass constantly in motion. Medium in body, this is silky-smooth, revealing mineral-laced orchard fruits lifted by a tinge of sour citrus. The 2022 finishes long and youthfully tense. A tart resonance of lime and savory herbs wraps things up."