Carricante

The area surrounding the small town of Milo is the only vineyard on Mount Etna where an "Etna Bianco Superiore" is permitted to be bottled – and for good reason: only Carricante may be planted on this steep vineyard, which consists of dozens of small terraces. The vines are trained like small saplings on chestnut wood stakes. The east-facing aspect and the proximity of the sea allow the grapes to ripen late, resulting in very consistent acidity levels and, ultimately, a white wine of aromatic finesse and freshness that is unrivalled even on Mount Etna. 

Milo is the only municipality on the entire slopes of Mount Etna whose white wines are permitted to bear the suffix "superiore". This distinction was enshrined in the DOC regulations in 1968 – and reflects the microclimate of this eastern flank: twice the rainfall compared to the north-facing slopes, an easterly aspect towards the Ionian Sea, cooling sea breezes, and volcanic soils composed of ash and Ripiddu lapilli. In the mists of the summer nights that Marco de Grazia describes in his writings on Milo, the Carricante ripens here to a level of precision it achieves nowhere else on the volcano.

This single-vineyard Carricante comes from the small Montalto vineyard, situated on the southern slope of Mount Etna at an altitude of approximately 950 metres. In terms of its overall character and aromatics, it is the most balanced and, at the same time, the most exciting of all Terre Nere's Etna Bianco wines; here, the full Etna profile is present in just the right measure: minerality, salinity, fruitiness and a perfect hint of orange peel and flint on the nose. On the palate, it is vibrant and refined, with an almost Burgundian character, full of finesse and length. SUPERIORE.DE

It was in 2007 that Marc de Grazia tasted a 42-year-old Carricante for the first time – and that moment changed everything. Three different occasions, three different bottles, yet always the same revelation: a wine of such impeccable beauty and youthful vigour, despite its venerable age, that the Etna pioneer knew immediately: this was the sort of wine he wanted to create himself. From this vision emerged Le Vigne Niche Santo Spirito, a tribute to the past and, at the same time, a manifesto for the future. In the Contrada Santo Spirito, at an altitude of 700 to 800 metres in Castiglione di Sicilia, the Carricante vines thrive on jet-black volcanic soils, rich in ash from past eruptions. Here, where for centuries only red grapes had been cultivated, Marc dared to attempt the seemingly impossible: single-varietal white crus of world-class calibre.

Whilst Santo Spirito unfolds its floral elegance at an airy altitude of 700 to 800 metres, Calderara Sottana is rooted in a completely different world. Just a few kilometres away, yet geologically distinct, this Contrada lies at an altitude of 620 to 670 metres, right next to the vineyard; and it is here that the extraordinary complexity of the Etna terroir reveals itself. In Calderara Sottana, Marc de Grazia discovered one of Sicily's rarest treasures: a pure, elliptical terroir, formed 60,000 years ago by volcanic eruptions. Of the hundreds of contrade on Mount Etna, only three possess this unique geological fingerprint, and Calderara is one of them. Whilst the Santo Spirito captivates with its crystalline minerality and maritime freshness, the Calderara Sottana is more opulent, creamier and warmer.

Whilst Santo Spirito unfolds its floral elegance at an airy altitude of 700 to 800 metres, Calderara Sottana is rooted in a completely different world. Just a few kilometres away, yet geologically distinct, this Contrada lies at an altitude of 620 to 670 metres directly adjacent to the vineyard – and it is here that the extraordinary complexity of the Etna terroir reveals itself. In Calderara Sottana, Marc de Grazia discovered one of Sicily's rarest treasures: a pure, elliptical terroir, formed 60,000 years ago by volcanic eruptions. Of the hundreds of contrade on Mount Etna, only three possess this unadulterated geological fingerprint, and Calderara is one of them. Whilst the Santo Spirito captivates with its crystalline minerality and maritime freshness, the Calderara Sottana is more opulent, creamier and warmer.

Just under 950 metres above sea level, on the south-western slope of Mount Etna, lies Contrada Cavaliere, a single vineyard that stands out even within the diverse world of Etna's Contrade. Less rainfall than elsewhere on the volcano, but abundant sunshine and dramatic temperature fluctuations between day and night: conditions that lend the Carricante that unmistakable intensity for which connoisseurs seek out this Contrada. The 50-year-old vines are rooted in skeletal volcanic sands with a sub-acidic profile – a soil that forces the plant to develop deep roots and guarantees low yields of just 6,000 kg per hectare. The grapes, harvested by hand in October and gently pressed, ferment in stainless steel tanks using the estate's own Etna yeast. The wine then rests on the fine lees for twelve months, stirred regularly, followed by a further six months of bottle ageing.

Gaia Gaja overheard two farmers in the vineyard. "Idda's in a bad mood today," said one. "Yes, I don't like it when I don't know what Idda's up to," replied the other. When Gaia asked who this Idda was, Alberto Graci explained: "That's what we call the mountain. Mount Etna. Feminine, capricious and maternal all at once – a force you live with and rely on every day." Angelo Gaja had known Mount Etna long before it became a project. In the 1990s, his friend Giacomo Tachis tried to persuade him to buy vineyards here. The sight of the black volcano with its snow-capped peak, seen from the air, remained etched in his memory. Decades later, he founded Idda together with Alberto Graci – making a conscious decision to focus on Carricante and to rediscover the south-western slope, that side of Etna often described as a 'counter-current', away from the more famous northern flank.

Giuseppe Benanti founded his winery in 1988; ten years later, he moved to Viagrande, the area from which his grandfather had originally come. On the south-eastern flank of Mount Etna, Monte Serra, an ancient volcanic cone, rises up. It was formed by an eruption through its own vent, separate from Etna's magma chamber, and left behind light ejecta: sandy volcanic soil with small pieces of pumice, so well-drained that the roots must dig deep in search of water. At altitudes of 450 to 500 metres, the vineyard is predominantly planted with young Carricante vines, trained in a bush style, at a density of around 8,000 per hectare. The grapes are harvested by hand at the end of September. After destemming and gentle pressing, the must ferments for around 15 days in temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks, using a yeast strain that Benanti has selected itself in the vineyard following years of research. Twelve months on the fine lees, with regular stirring, followed by six months' ageing in the bottle.

Contrada Sciaranuova Bianco delivers an expressive portrait of the volcano – a white wine of crystalline clarity, grown at an altitude of 850 metres on the northern flanks of Mount Etna in the Contrada of the same name near Passopisciaro. The vines – almost exclusively Carricante – are deeply rooted in layers of lava rich in iron and ash, characterised by a strong day-night amplitude and a cool microclimate. The 2022 vintage was phenomenal in Sicily: a fresh spring, a moderate summer and a long ripening phase until October allowed for a precise harvest with excellent freshness and mineral expression.

Archineri Bianco comes from a small, high-altitude single vineyard in the Contrada Rampante – one of the most renowned cru sites on Etna. The ungrafted vines, some of which are over 100 years old, are rooted at an altitude of 850 metres in barren, stony lava soil with north-eastern exposure. This extreme location ensures an extended vegetation period, pronounced day-night fluctuations and a precise, almost razor-sharp aroma spectrum. The single-varietal Carricante is selectively harvested by hand, fermented spontaneously in stainless steel and then matured on the fine lees for several months.

Contrada Arcurìa is situated directly opposite Alberto Graci's winery. It was here, on the north-eastern slope of Mount Etna in Passopisciaro, that the estate's history began in 2004, when the former Milanese investment banker acquired his first plot of land following the death of his grandfather, who had made his own wine in central Sicily. Covering 25 hectares, 18 of which are planted with vines, Arcurìa remains the heart of his estate to this day. Unlike the entry-level Bianco, this wine is made from 100% Carricante grown at an altitude of 600 metres, on brown, volcanic soil with a high proportion of mineral particles and plenty of iron. Following gentle pressing without contact with the skins, half is aged in 1,Liters and the other half in concrete tanks, followed by twelve months on the fine lees and a further twelve months of bottle ageing before the wine is released.

Milo. A name that inspires awe amongst connoisseurs. This small village on the eastern slopes of Mount Etna is the only place whose white wines are permitted to bear the designation "Superiore" – as stipulated by the Etna DOC regulations. Here, in Contrada Rinazzo, where steep terraces with dry stone walls made of black lava rock look down towards the Ionian Sea, the Carricante grape perhaps finds its purest expression. At an altitude of 800 metres, just eight kilometres from the sea, the climate is characterised by constant ventilation, abundant light and marked temperature variations. The young vines are trained using the traditional Alberello system, supported by chestnut stakes, at a density of 8,000 vines per hectare. The mineral-rich volcanic sand, with its sub-acidic profile and fine grain, retains moisture and imparts to the grapes that unmistakable salinity which sets Milo wines apart from all other Etna whites. Hand-harvested in mid-October, gently pressed, fermented at 18 °C using the winery's own yeast. Twelve months on the fine lees with regular bâtonnage, followed by a further six months' bottle ageing.

100% Carricante of incredible elegance and purity, its subtle aroma of herbs and citrus fruits is complemented on the palate by a wonderful minerality and salinity. A white wine full of expressiveness and finesse! SUPERIORE.DE

A white legacy from the volcano: with the Alberelli di Giodo Carricante, Carlo Ferrini shows that great white wines do not have to come from the north – but from the east of Sicily. The vines grow at around 870 metres above sea level in the Contrada Volpare on the south-eastern slopes of Mount Etna. It is a barren, high-altitude single vineyard with a view of the Ionian Sea, characterised by porous lava soils, layers of ash, basalt fragments and permeable volcanic sand. The Alberello system with low, free-standing vines forces the plants to root deeply – each vine wrests its own language from the soil.

The grapes for this fine white wine from the north side of Mount Etna come from the 3-hectare Contrada Muganazzi in the municipality of Passopisciaro. The skeleton-rich and pH-neutral soils are rich in iron and nitrogen and offer ideal conditions for fresh, acidic and mineral white wines. The wine is aged in equal parts in wood and stainless steel for 12 months on the fine lees. Muganazzi is neither a lean wine, nor is it too full-bodied. It is somewhere in between, with thick layers of peach, apricot and lots of fresh citrus fruit. The mineral notes such as gravel, flint and volcanic ash are very evident. An elegant, powerful Carricante with great drinking flow that clearly shows the signature of the sensitive Alberto Graci. SUPERIORE.DE

The Contrada Arrigo is situated on the northern slope of Mount Etna, 610 metres above sea level, facing north-east with a view of the sea. Wine has been grown on this millennia-old soil since time immemorial. It is rich in organic matter and consists mainly of volcanic sand and lava stones from a volcanic eruption in 1180. Significant temperature fluctuations between day and night result in a slow ripening process that preserves freshness and minerality.

White wines from Etna are always special and are in a league of their own due to the generally very old vines, the extreme altitude and the usually minimal yield per hectare. The area around the small town of Milo is the only vineyard site on Etna where an Etna Bianco can be bottled as Superiore - and for good reason: only Carricante can be planted on the steep vineyard, which consists of dozens of small terraces. When the origin of the Carricante grapes is the small parcel (Contrada) Caselle with mostly 100-year-old ungrafted bush vines (Alberelli), even connoisseurs can be excited. The soil, which was formed by centuries of volcanic activity, has numerous layers of minerals and salts, pumice, lapilli, fine and light ash. This extremely rare terroir is particularly fertile and produces late-ripening, healthy, fresh and very flavourful grapes despite the generally high thermal excesses during the summer. Less than 1,000 bottles of this exceptional wine are produced in good years, so you can imagine that we consider ourselves lucky to be able to offer a few cases of this rare wine.

Standing on one's own two feet is regarded as a sign of maturity. The bush vines at the Caselle vineyard have been doing just that for a long human lifetime – quite literally: they are ungrafted, never having been grafted, as was common practice everywhere before the phylloxera plague and is now a rarity. Here, 100% Carricante is grown at 950 metres near Milo on the eastern slope of Mount Etna. The soil is fertile, with layers of minerals and salts, pumice, lapilli and fine, light ash. The estate attributes the wine's high acidity to these soils, and its salinity to the proximity of the Ionian Sea. It covers just half a hectare, yielding around 650 bottles a year.