THE 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.

THE WINE: After almost thirty years of experience vinifying the well-known Etna Rosso Rovittello, 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.

After a mild winter with low rainfall, vegetative growth started normally but with slight delays due to fluctuating temperatures in April and May, particularly cooler-than-average conditions in May. Rainfall helped maintain low temperatures and good soil moisture. In June, a temperature spike accelerated growth, aided by ample water. This trend was consistent across Etna, and after a later-than-usual flowering, significant manpower was needed for pruning. All phenological phases were delayed, including grape ripening, despite sunny weather during the first harvest period (late September to early October). The harvest yielded fewer grapes, but with a good acid/sugar balance and strong aromatic qualities.

Grapes are hand-picked in the last 10 days of October, de-stemmed, and softly pressed. Fermentation occurs at a controlled temperature in stainless steel vats, with a 20-21 days-long maceration, using an indigenous yeast selected in the vineyard by Benanti after years of experimentation.

Pale ruby red with light tints of garnet. Ethereal, intense, delicate scent with hints of ripe fruit, chestnut flowers and noble wood. Elegant and fine tannins, balanced, remarkably persistent on the tongue.