Benanti

Sicily, Italy

Pietra Marina, Etna Bianco DOC Superiore — 2019

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  • Introduction

    • WINERY Winemaking in the Benanti family can be traced back to the late 1800s in Viagrande. This deep-rooted passion for wine is what led Giuseppe Benanti to establish the namesake winery in 1988.

  • Vineyard Profile

    • Vineyard located in Contrada Rinazzo in the village of Milo, on the eastern slope of Mount Etna. Up to 80 years old, head-trained, short-pruned bush vines grown on small terraces with dry lava-stone wall.

    • Appellation: Etna D.O.C. Bianco Superiore
    • Location: Sicily
    • Cultivation: Adoption of organic practices
    • Vine Age: Up to 80 years old
    • Soil: Volcanic sands, rich in minerals, with sub-acid reaction (pH 6.5)
    • Exposure: On the eastern slope of Mount Etna
    • Density: 8,000 vinestocks per hectare (3,239 vines per acre)
  • Vintage Report

    • After a typical winter with mild temperatures and low rainfall, vegetation woke up on schedule. However, the fluctuating temperatures in April and May, which were lower than average, led to a slight delay in vegetative phases. This was aided by significant rainfall that kept temperatures low and supplied good water reserves in the soil.

      In June, a sudden temperature rise, combined with good water supply, spurred immediate and robust vegetation growth. This was consistent across all sides of Etna. Due to slightly delayed flowering, more manpower was required for green pruning operations.

      All growth stages were delayed, including grape ripening, despite sunny weather at the start of the harvest period from late September to early October. The harvest yielded fewer grapes, but they had a good acid/sugar balance and aromatic profile.

  • Vinification

    • The selected grapes are hand-picked in mid-October, sorted, de-stemmed and softly pressed. Fermentation of the free-run juice occurs for about 15 days at controlled temperature in a stainless steel vat, with an indigenous yeast selected in the vineyard by Benanti exclusively for the vinification of the Carricante variety. The wine then matures in stainless steel on the fine lees for 30 months, with frequent stirring, until bottling.

    • Aging: The wine matures in stainless steel on the fine lees for 30 months, with frequent stirring, until bottling. Refining in the bottle for 12 months.
  • Technical Information

    • Varietal Composition: Carricante
    • Alcohol: 12.5%
    • TA: 7.0 g/L
    • p H: 3.08
    • RS: 0.7 g/L
  • Tasting Notes

    • Pale yellow with greenish tints. Intense, rich, moderately fruity, complex scent. Medium-bodied, dry, mineral, with a pleasant high acidity, saline notes, marked aromatic persistence and after taste of anise and almond.

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Reviews

  • Pietra Marina, Etna Bianco DOC Superiore — 2019 – James Suckling – 94 Points

    "This intense Etna is full of tension, showing candied cedar, kerosene, apricots and orange blossoms. Light- to medium-bodied, it has a bone-dry style with crisp acidity, minerals and a tight, slightly austere finish."

  • Pietra Marina, Etna Bianco DOC Superiore — 2019 – Wine Spectator – 94 Points

    “A structured white, offering rapier-like acidity tightly meshed with flavors of crunchy white peach, green almond, crushed pine, lemon wax and petrol. There's good tension and focus; this should open nicely with short-term cellaring.”

  • Pietra Marina, Etna Bianco DOC Superiore — 2019 – Vinous – 95 Points

    "The 2019 Etna Bianco Superiore Pietra Marina captivates. It’s perfumed and floral, with enriching notes of almond paste and confectionery spice that perfectly accentuate a smoky core of white peaches. There’s more lift on the palate, but it's a little backward, possessing wiry textures and an intense mineral core that adds depth to its citrus-inflected orchard fruits. Nervous acidity forces the mouth to water and maintains a dazzling freshness as inner florals resonate and a sour lime concentration settles in."

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