Cucine d’Italia presents the ten best Etna white wines that best represent the excellence and volcanic soul of this unique territory.
This analysis will examine a selection of labels that express the diversity and complexity of Carricante, the predominant indigenous grape variety, sometimes blended with Catarratto and, more rarely, with Grecanico. Through technical tastings and sensory analyses, the distinctive characteristics of each wine will be evaluated, with particular attention to structure, balance, and aromatic persistence. The aim is to provide a detailed overview of the best expressions of Etna, highlighting the peculiarities of each winery.
The Volcanic Terroir of Etna: A Geological Palimpsest
Etna, with its unique, heterogeneous, and dynamic volcanic terroir, confirms itself as an area of excellence for the production of high-quality white wines. The stratification of the soils, a geological palimpsest resulting from successive eruptions, gives rise to a pedological micro-zonation of rare complexity, where the soil composition varies significantly even within a few meters. The sandy ashes, dispersed by the volcano and deposited by the winds, integrate into this texture, further enriching the complexity of the terroir.
Pedological Heterogeneity and Microclimate: Determining Factors
This pedological heterogeneity, combined with a unique microclimate, creates a viticultural environment where each parcel expresses its own identity. Variations in soil composition directly influence nutrient availability and drainage capacity, while volcanic ashes contribute minerals and trace elements that give the wines a distinctive minerality.
Furthermore, Etna’s microclimate, a mosaic of unique conditions, plays a crucial role in defining the character of its white wines. The high altitude, which can reach 1000 meters above sea level in some cultivation areas, and the marked thermal excursion, with variations exceeding 15°C during the summer, create an environment where the vine is subjected to controlled stress. This stress, paradoxically, translates into a benefit for grape quality. The daytime temperatures, often high, favor the synthesis of sugars and aromatic compounds, while the cool nights preserve acidity and slow down ripening. This delicate balance between phenolic ripeness and acidity gives Etna wines a vibrant freshness and a layered aromatic complexity.
Aromatic Profile and Structure of Etna Wines
The slow ripening, induced by thermal excursions, allows the grapes to develop a rich and multifaceted aromatic profile, with notes of white-fleshed fruit, citrus fruits, aromatic herbs, and mineral hints. The pronounced acidity, sustained by nighttime temperatures, gives the wines a vertical structure and a remarkable aging capacity.
A Dynamic and Continuously Evolving Terroir
The Etna microclimate, a determining factor, gives white wines a unique combination of freshness, complexity, and longevity. The dynamism of the terroir, with its continuous evolutions, represents a challenge and an opportunity for producers, who must interpret and enhance the peculiarities of each vineyard. This interaction between man and nature, between tradition and innovation, is what makes Etna white wines so unique and fascinating, an authentic expression of an extraordinary and continuously evolving territory.
The 10 Best Etna White Wines According to Cucine d’Italia
Etna Bianco A’ Puddara 2022 Tenuta di Fessina
Score: 97 points
The Etna Bianco A’ Puddara 2022 from Tenuta di Fessina confirms itself as a benchmark oenological expression of the Etna territory, highlighting superlative quality. Upon visual analysis, the wine presents a bright golden straw hue, a prelude to an olfactory profile of remarkable complexity.
The aromatic bouquet reveals notes of green apple, medlar, white plum, and cedar zest, integrated with smoky nuances and hints of mountain herbs, derived from the interaction with the volcanic terroir. On the palate, the wine demonstrates a taut and layered structure, with notable persistence and a complexity that reflects the excellence of the winemaking and the uniqueness of the vineyard of origin.
Etna Bianco Sup. C. da Praino Frontemare 2023 Maugeri
Score: 96 points
The Etna Bianco Superiore Contrada Praino Frontemare 2023 from Maugeri stands out for an aromatic profile of remarkable complexity and finesse, a true champion. Upon olfactory analysis, elegant notes of yellow fruit emerge, enriched by hints of sage, almond, juniper, and rosemary, which blend harmoniously with mineral and smoky nuances. On the palate, the wine reveals great balance, with a marked sapidity and a lively acidic tension. The finish, characterized by persistent notes of lime and fresh almond, confirms the quality and elegance of this Etna Bianco, which confirms itself as an excellence of the territory.
Etna Bianco Arcuria 2022 Graci
Score: 95 points
The Etna Bianco Arcuria 2022 from Graci stands out for its complexity and structural finesse. Visually, the wine presents a bright greenish color, indicative of careful winemaking and excellent preservation of acidity. The olfactory profile is layered and intense, with notes of white-fleshed fruits such as plum, green pear, medlar, and peach, integrated with mineral nuances of flint, floral hints of lavender, and hints of almond and lemon zest.
On the palate, the wine demonstrates a robust structure, with a rich pulp and a marked vertical acidity that gives freshness and persistence. The balance between the fruity and mineral components is exemplary, highlighting the quality of the Carricante grapes grown in the volcanic terroir of Etna. The winemaking was conducted with the aim of preserving the varietal and territorial characteristics, with an aging that enhanced the complexity of the wine without overpowering its elegance.
Etna Bianco Sup. Pietramarina 2019 Benanti
Score: 95 points
The Etna Bianco Superiore Pietramarina 2019 from Benanti, an expression of remarkable longevity, stands out for an aromatic profile of rare freshness, like few wines in Italy, obtained through a prolonged aging of five years. On the nose, the wine initially reveals mineral hints of sea stones and flint, evolving subsequently towards fruity notes of citrus fruits, aromatic herbs, pittosporum flowers, and white pepper. On the palate, the coherence of the olfactory profile manifests itself in a vital and vibrant structure, with a balanced distribution of flavors, culminating in a finish of notable composure and persistence.
Munjebel Bianco VA 2021 Frank Cornelissen
Score: 95 points
The Munjebel Bianco VA 2021 from Frank Cornelissen, an expression of a blend of Grecanico and Carricante from the Vigne Alte, stands out for a complex and layered olfactory profile. Notes of spontaneous Mediterranean herbs blend with hints of hydrocarbons, giving the wine a decisive character and a marked materiality. On the palate, the structure reveals itself full and rich, supported by a dynamic acidity that accompanies a persistent and deep finish. The aromatic complexity and balanced structure testify to the high quality of this wine, an authentic expression of the Etna terroir.
Sicilia doc Bianco Carricante 2023 Idda
Score: 94 points
Born from the collaboration between Angelo Gaja and Alberto Graci on the slopes of Etna, this wine is an authentic expression of the territory. “Idda,” which in Sicilian dialect means “she,” is an affectionate tribute to Etna. The winery, which currently produces only two wines—a red from Nerello Mascalese, and in small part from Nerello Cappuccio, and this white from Carricante grapes—presents itself with an olfactory profile of remarkable complexity and intensity.
Refined floral perfumes of jasmine and orange blossom intertwine with notes of green tea, yellow-fleshed fruit, citrus fruits, particularly lime, and mineral hints of stony shoreline. On the palate, the wine reveals a sip of good weight, with a vibrant freshness and an excellent balance between acidity and fruit. The finish, of extraordinary persistence, is characterized by a mineral sapidity and a freshness that enhance its length.
Etna Bianco 2023 Monteleone
Score: 94 points
The Etna Bianco 2023 from Monteleone, an expression of the oenological skill of Giulia Monteleone, stands out for an aromatic profile of remarkable complexity. On the nose, notes of jasmine and orange blossom emerge, integrated with hints of citrus fruits, aromatic herbs, and white fruit, outlining a bouquet of finesse and intensity. On the palate, the wine reveals itself taut and vibrant, supported by a pronounced acidity that gives it freshness and dynamism. The persistence is notable, with a precise and clean finish, characterized by a long citrus return that enhances its drinkability.
Etna Bianco Trainara 2022 Generazione Alessandro
Score: 94 points
The Etna Bianco Trainara 2022 from Generazione Alessandro confirms itself as a prestigious label, highlighting also in this vintage the skill of the young cousins Alessandro in producing high-quality wines. The olfactory profile stands out for intensity and complexity, showing a sequence of elegant and delicate notes, ranging from white peach to green cedar zest, with nuances of wild lily, lavender, and wisteria. On the palate, the wine presents itself dynamic and vertical, characterized by a vibrant acidity and a refined structure.
Il Bianco 2023 Buscemi
Score: 94 points
The Bianco 2023 from Buscemi, an expression of notable oenological finesse, originates from a historic eighty-year-old vineyard at 980 meters above sea level on the northwestern slope of Etna, in the municipality of Bronte, once owned by Admiral Nelson. The varietal composition, Carricante and Grecanico, manifests in an olfactory profile of rare elegance, where notes of wild fennel, broom, white melon, and cedar emerge, testifying to careful agronomic management and a distinctive terroir. On the palate, the wine reveals a precise and graceful structure, characterized by a pronounced sapidity and a delicate texture, which confer a superior class. The complexity and balance of the sip highlight a high-level oenological interpretation, capable of expressing the peculiarity of the territory with authenticity.
Etna Bianco Aedes 2023 I Custodi delle Vigne dell’Etna
Score: 93 points
The Etna Bianco Aedes 2023 from I Custodi delle Vigne dell’Etna stands out for an olfactory profile of notable complexity. The wine presents a golden straw color, a prelude to a bouquet that ranges from nuances of hydrocarbons to lemon blossom, with notes of ripe white plum, medlar, sage, juniper, and weeping willow flowers. On the palate, the Aedes 2023 reveals agility and inviting finesse, with a precise balance between softness and acidity. The gustatory dynamic is characterized by an intriguing rhythmicity, which contributes to defining a wine of marked personality and harmony.