Etna tasting in Ksiazka i Wino

Finally after doing a Sicily tasting in July, the obvious next step was to go where in Sicily there is the best wine area, Etna! So I prepared myself with an order from Superiore.de (amazing selection!) with some of the top reds of the region.

• 2023 Benanti Etna Bianco 89 Points

  Italy, Sicily, Etna DOC

  The more entry level wine of the tasting, it was fresh and refreshing, with the typical minerality and saltiness.

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• 2023 Tenuta di Fessina Etna A Puddara 92 Points

  Italy, Sicily, Etna DOC

  The best white of the night! Such a pure intensity of fruits, with great minerality and saltiness. Very intense palate, with high acidity and a very long and mouthfilling finish. I would give it at least 3 more years to uncocrk another one.

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• 2022 Cottanera Etna Bianco Calderara 90 Points

  Italy, Sicily, Etna DOC

  A beautiful wine still in its youth, with a little too much oak for my taste but I can imagine it's attracting for some people. The oak is indeed hiding the beaty of Carricante.

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• 2021 Benanti Etna Rosso Contrada Dafara Galluzzo 90 Points

  Italy, Sicily, Etna DOC

  Between the reds, this was the least balanced one, starting from a quite translucent garnet color. The nose was quite nice, and few people at the table liked it, with dried flowers, spices, strawberries. On the palate it was a bit unbalanced, and I'm fought between thinking that it's not so well done or just way too young to be approached.

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• 2020 Pietradolce Etna Contrada Santo Spirito 92 Points

  Italy, Sicily, Etna DOC

  That was a very good one, with a ton of smokiness at the forefront, followed by crunchy fruits, spices and a flower touch. The palate was pure finesse, light tannins with high acidity and a quite long finish to close the sip. Young but more approachable than the following wines.

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• 2019 Passopisciaro Terre Siciliane Contrada Rampante 93 Points

  Italy, Sicily, Terre Siciliane

  My second favorite red, especially for the purity of fruit, smoky, earthy, with a very intence and balanced palate, with persistent and pleasant finish. It's still young and I would give it a couple more years to get to full maturity.

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• 2020 Graci Etna Arcuria 94 Points

  Italy, Sicily, Etna DOC

  The best red between my selection (since the Terre Nere 2013 Santo Spirito was brought by a guest), Beautiful bright red color, with a nose of sweet crunchy fruits, spices, earthy, meaty, a bit of balsamic note. On the palate it's very intense, with still young tannins and high acidity, all followed by a very long finish.

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• 2013 Tenuta delle Terre Nere Etna Rosso Santo Spirito 94 Points

  Italy, Sicily, Etna DOC

  This was brought by a guest, who was at the winery and got the bottle directly at the source! The color was more garnet than the rest, already mature, and the maturity was showing at the nose as well, with ripe fruits, both dark and red, balsamic, with porcini mushroom and wet leaves. The finish was long and pleasant. Not sure it has still a long life in front of it, but it's great to drink now!

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The tasting showed how going close to the top range of wines (exluding the few above 100 euro selection) we can find great wines on the Etna slopes. At this same price we find some good Brunello which have a comparable price/quality ratio.