A pure expression of Mt. Etna, the Etna Bianco is 100% Caricante, an ancient Sicilian white grape variety, thought to have been growing on the volcanic slopes of Mt. Etna for at least a thousand years. Planted at high altitudes on the steep slopes of Mt. Etna, the grapes ripen slowly and steadily throughout the long growing season. On the nose, the Etna Bianco is bursting with citrus notes of lemon and cedar with orange blossom and jasmine. A full-bodied palate is supported by the marked acidity typical of this variety, imparting freshness and a long finish.
This has notes of lemons, chamomile and sweet basil. It’s bright and fruity, with a medium body and fresh, creamy finish. Carricante.
The team at Cottanera have really honed in their talents and experience when it comes to making white wine with the extremely popular Carricante grape. From a good vintage, their 2021 Etna Bianco is super zesty and fresh with all kinds of exciting citrusy and mineral notes. Winemaking sees cryomaceration and nine months of aging on the fine lees in stainless steel. This is such a fun, and easy wine to drink, especially if a summer sunset or beach panorama is on the schedule. Production is 40,000 bottles.
White peaches and apricots appear on the nose before contouring notes of limes and pencil eraser. Mixed citrus and more white peaches mingle on the palate, and a through line of acid balances the dense fruit for a lovely tension.
Pale straw yellow with green reflections. Pronounced aromas of gooseberry, lemon, lemon balm and freshly cut grass, with a hint of tomato leaf in the aftertaste. Fresh and juicy on the palate, lively drinking, ends with a long and clear finish.
Aromas of jasmine, grapefruit and fresh rosemary. Medium-to full-bodied with an oily texture. White smoke colors the stone-fruit and fresh-herb notes on the palate. A hint of banana leaf comes through.
White peaches and apricots appear on the nose before contouring notes of limes and pencil eraser. Mixed citrus and more white peaches mingle on the palate, and a through line of acid balances the dense fruit for a lovely tension.
This vivid and refreshing wine is an excellent introduction to the dry whites from Etna, with a wide spectrum of fruit aromas, from red apple to white peach via a slew of citrus. Sleek and polished, medium-bodied palate with lovely mineral freshness at the finish. Drink now.
Pale shimmering silver yellow. Pronounced aromas of lemon balm, freshly cut grass, tomato leaves in the background, a hint of fumé. Takes itself up with tension, very juicy in the drink, persistent with a fine arc of tension, ends minerally and on meadow hay.
The 2019 Etna Bianco is a terrific and fundamentally food-friendly and immediate white made with Sicily's excellent Carricante grape. This is the estate's entry-level white, ready for an easy salad topped with grilled chicken or grilled shrimp, but don't be fooled by that accessible price tag. This bottle packs enormous charm and complexity with citrus, pomelo, white peach and generous mineral notes that add salty sensations to the finish.
The 2019 Etna Bianco is sweetly perfumed, presenting white flowers and ripe apple balanced by lime zest and crushed stone. Its silky textures envelop the palate with orchard fruits and cooling minerals, complemented by vibrant acids and taking on a richer sensation as notes of almond come forward toward the close. This tapers off floral and fresh, leaving a subtle twang of sour tropical citrus.
Scents of apple blossoms lead into flavors of crisp apple, lime and Asian pear in this bright, saline wine; hints of white pepper emerge on the clean, mineral finish.
Inviting nose with subtle aromatic notes of jasmine flowers and peach. Round and very juicy in the base and course, also a lot of green peach, long finish.
Medium yellow straw with an olive tinge. Shows a complex nose of cherimoya, lemon pith and fresh herbs that are picked up and amplified with subtle citrus notes on a lanolin like, slippery textured palate. Finishes with excellent persistence and lingering rich lemon/mineral extract. Made of 100% Carricante from estate vineyards at 750m elevation, fermented in stainless steel and aged sur lie for 6 months.
The Cambria family's passion and expertise are especially evident even in an entry-level white such as this. The 2018 Etna Bianco is a refreshingly fragrant and zesty wine with citrusy aromas of bergamot and lemon blossom followed by white peach. The wine is tonic, fresh and easy-drinking. Cottanera also makes a more structured, single-vineyard expression of Carricante from the Contrada Calderara, but I already reviewed the current 2016 vintage of that wine last year.
Newly trimmed grass springs out from the glass here, joining lemons, limes and Granny Smith apples. Medium to full body, pure acid crunch and a bright finish. Delightful transparency. Drink now.
The Cambria family's passion and expertise are especially evident even in an entry-level white such as this. The 2018 Etna Bianco (with 44,000 bottles made) is a refreshingly fragrant and zesty wine with citrusy aromas of bergamot and lemon blossom followed by white peach. The wine is tonic, fresh and easy-drinking. Cottanera also makes a more structured, single-vineyard expression of Carricante from the Contrada Calderara, but I already reviewed the current 2016 vintage of that wine last year.
Crystalline pale yellow. Bergamot, cilantro, guava and white peach on the nose. Then rich and dense with an almost oily quality to the fresh citrus and herbal flavors. Finishes long and clean with zingy harmonious acidity and a rising note of peppery fresh ginger. This offers a curious combination of aromas and flavors typical of wines made with Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc.
Cottanera first produced a Carricante in 2009 and has slowly been replacing plantings of international reds with this indigenous white variety. Aged on the lees in stainless steel for six months, the wine boasts a heady nose of a dewy spring morning. Lemon verbena, fleshy stone fruit and pear emerge from the mouth-watering, juicy core and a mineral-like sensation kicks in on the finish.
The Cambria family has produced a very bright and vibrant expression of Carricante. The 2017 Etna Bianco shows bright floral intensity with sweet tropical fruit and apricot. The wine is a tad shorter and thinner in this hot vintage. Drink this Etna Bianco within the next 5 years.
Luminous straw color. Ample and soft on the nose, with ripe aromas of citrus fruits and sweet resin. Then more vertical in the mouth, with notes of lime dominating on the pretty, very long and clean finish. A blend of Carricante grapes form the Calderar, Diciasettesalme and Cottanera contrade (beware that the back label states just the first two, but it's not so). A lovely Etna Bianco.
This shows some real precision and purity on the nose with grapefruit and bright, pomelo notes and some squeezed lemons. The palate shows lots of intense and textured fruit, which dances around some good acidity. Flavorful, oily finish. Pure carricante
A white that is very citrusy and salty with dried peaches and apples. Medium to full body, bright acidity and a long finish. Drink now.
Pale yellow. Lemon drop and green apple on the fresh nose. Deep and dense but bracing, delivering lovely lemony cut and serious underlying minerality to the apple and nectarine flavors. The long finish features brisk acidity and terrific grip.
Aromas of citrus, white stone fruit and vegetal hint suggesting tomato leaf lead the way. The racy palate offers grapefruit, pineapple, fresh white peach and flinty mineral while a pleasantly bitter note closes the finish.
Editor's Choice. Made entirely with Carricante, this opens with a lovely fragance of Spanish broom, lychee, white fuit and Mediterranean herb. The juicy, linear palate delivers creamy green apple, bright citrus and mineral. Drink through 2017.
Editor's Choice. This beautiful wine opens with aromas of peach blossom, stone fruit, citrus and slate. The structured but refined palate delivers juicy grapefruit, green apple, aniseed and lovely mineral alongside fresh acidity and finessse. It's already delicious but will develop more complexity. Drink now through 2020.
(100% carricante): Very pale yellow-green. Intense mineral and floral aromas are complicated by notes of citrus peel, white peach and crystallized ginger. Then bright and juicy on the palate, with a very firm mineral underpinning giving shape and lift to the flavors of apple, nectarine and spices. The long finish features lingering nuances of white flowers and talcum powder. Already accessible but this wine ought to develope nicely over the next couple of years.
Very dry and dusty, this bleand of Carricante and Catarratto does a great job of showing the volcanic characteristics of Mt. Etna. There is fruit in the form of citrus, pear and melon, and the wine presents a tangy grapefruit finish, with a pretty mineral nuance as well.
