Benanti
Serra della Contessa Particella No. 587 Etna Rosso DOC Riserva
After almost twenty years of experience vinifying the well-known Etna Rosso Serra della Contessa, 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.
The very steep vineyard is planted on a sandy, volcanic soil, rich in minerals and pumice lava stones, 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 4,500 kg/ha. The area’s high hill climate, mitigated by the proximity to the Ionian Sea, is humid and rainy in the cooler season, with constant good ventilation and high luminosity.
- Region
- Sicily
- Appellation
- Etna Rosso DOC Riserva
- Varietal Composition
- Nerello Mascalese
- Aging
- 24 months in 15hl French oak barrels
- Alcohol
- 14.2%
With a ruby red color and light garnet tints, this wine presents an ethereal, intense nose with hints of wild berries, spice, and noble wood. The palate is full and harmonious, with mineral notes and considerable persistence. Its tannic structure adds balance and depth
Wine Enthusiast
94 Points
"Bricks, fresh soil, grilled meat, plums and cherries on the nose almost manage to keep sweeter notes of vanilla and milk chocolate hidden. These get their time to shine on the palate, with more berries lifted up by orange zest and a chili pepper kick."
— Danielle Callegari, 2023
