Wines from Sicily

The grapes for the Sul Vulcano Rosato come from the northern slopes of Mount Etna, where Nerello Mascalese thrives on volcanic soils in a cool, high-altitude climate. The grapes are harvested early, gently pressed and matured exclusively in stainless steel tanks to emphasise the freshness and finesse of the variety. Pale pink in the glass with a salmon-coloured shimmer – stylish and precise. The nose smells of white cherry, wild strawberry, some citrus and a fine hint of wild herbs and flint. Straightforward, cool and silky on the palate with clear fruit, gripping freshness and minerality. The volcanic origin is evident in the salty depth, which lingers for a long time. A sophisticated rosato with a cool alpine profile and subtle energy – ideal with refined seafood dishes, grilled vegetables or sophisticated summer cuisine. SUPERIORE.DE

The Nerello Mascalese vines for this exceptional rosato grow on the northern slopes of Mount Etna at an altitude of over 600 metres – barren, stony soils of pure lava rock characterise the microclimate and give the wine its clear contours. The wine is matured purely in stainless steel to emphasise freshness, purity and terroir expression. Delicate pink in the glass with a copper-coloured shimmer. The bouquet is elegant and restrained: wild strawberry, pink grapefruit, a hint of blood orange and some fennel green. Lively on the palate, with juicy fruit, animating acidity and mineral tension. The cool finish is dry, precise and surprisingly long. An Etna Rosato with Alpine freshness and Mediterranean soul – ideal for warm evenings, grilled fish or a classic insalata di mare. SUPERIORE.DE

An island within the island. This is what Giuseppe Benanti called Etna, the world he opened up for himself in 1988 as a pioneer of modern Etna wines. Today, his sons Antonio and Salvino are continuing his legacy as the only winery with vineyards on all four slopes of the volcano. The Etna Bianco combines 100% Carricante from the eastern and southern slopes, where altitudes between 700 and 950 metres, volcanic sandy soils and pronounced day-night fluctuations create ideal conditions. The 20 to 60-year-old vines grow partly as traditional Alberello, partly on trellis wire. Hand-picked in mid-October, gently pressed, fermented for twelve days at 18 °C in stainless steel with the estate's own Carricante yeast selected from Etna vineyards. Maturation on fine lees and brief rest in the bottle.

This single-varietal Carricante from Tenuta Tascante comes from the districts of Feudo in Castiglione di Sicilia and Salice in Milo. The vineyards grow at an altitude of 600 metres on the north side of Mount Etna on volcanic sedimentary soils from different eras. The majority of the grapes grow on a terrace in Contrada Sciaranuova. Vinified in cool stainless steel, this white wine retains the mineral clarity and sulphurous notes of the indigenous grape variety. Linear and vertical, it presents itself with the characteristic acidity of Carricante, showing volcanic vigour in elegant purity. An authentic Etna character with four months of ageing on the lees that brings the aura of the volcano directly into the glass. SUPERIORE.DE

Carricante from Planeta's Etna vineyard is an exceptional wine full of freshness, energy and minerality. This noble grape variety thrives in exclusive conditions, on volcanic soils and at altitudes of 870 metres. A wonderfully complex pleasure that is only ever released for sale two years after the harvest. The eruption of 1614 is legendary in the history of Etna, as it lasted ten years, making it the longest recorded eruption of the active volcano to date. A very impressive and fitting name for Planeta's Etna series of equally impressive wines. SUPERIORE.DE

Beautiful white from Carricante that captures the energy of Etna and reflects its essence. Sparkling lemon yellow with a drop of gold. Yellow stone fruit, mint, flowers and spice aromas on the nose. Complex flavour, full fruit and subtle minerality on the palate. Racy, delicately flavoured and sophisticated. SUPERIORE.DE

From the volcanic island of Pantelleria, where the wind dictates the rules: Here, the olive trees grow on terraces of black lava rock, pruned low to defy the relentless gusts. The Biancolilla – one of the oldest olive varieties in Sicily – finds its most poetic expression in this barren landscape between Africa and Europe. The olives are harvested by hand directly from the tree, early in the second decade of October, when the polyphenol content reaches its maximum. Immediate cold pressing and gramolatura in a controlled atmosphere preserve the exceptional fineness.

This olio comes from old olive groves in south-east Sicily, where the Tonda Iblea variety has been native for generations. After harvesting, it is cold-extracted immediately so that the vibrant flavour and powerful character of the variety remain unchanged in the bottle. There, the oil is a light green colour with a golden shimmer, as if the Sicilian sun is shining once again. The bouquet is fine and clear: green tomato, fresh grass and a subtle herbal flavour reminiscent of lemon thyme and young leaves. The flavour is harmonious, with a delicate bitterness, elegant, well-integrated spiciness and a juicy, green-fruity length.

From wine to oil, from west to east: Donnafugata has been cultivating olive groves on the northern slope of Mount Etna since 2016 – where volcanic soils and extreme temperature fluctuations between day and night produce olives of particular intensity. The Nocellara Etnea is the defining variety of this region: large-fruited, juicy, with a favourable ratio of flesh to stone. For this single-variety oil, the olives are harvested by hand in the second half of November and immediately cold-pressed – gramolatura is carried out in a controlled atmosphere to prevent oxidation and preserve the flavours.

The youngest Nerello vines here are rooted in old volcanic soil: Pietradolce Rosso comes from plots in Solicchiata on the northern slopes of Mount Etna, around 600 metres above sea level. The terroir, a mixture of ash, basalt and sand, gives the wine a precise structure and striking minerality. Clear ruby red in colour with light reflections. Fragrant on the nose and typical of young Nerello Mascalese: Sour cherry, redcurrant, some blood orange and a hint of violet. Lean, fresh and taut on the palate with lively acidity and grippy tannins that blend harmoniously with the juicy fruit. The finish is straightforward, spicy and characterised by a fine mineral salinity. An authentic Etna Rosso with a clear signature – accessible and direct, but anything but arbitrary. SUPERIORE.DE

The Tenuta Capofaro of Tasca is located on the Aeolian Islands off the north-eastern tip of Sicily. The name of this fresh and aromatic Malvasia is dedicated to the former owner Paola Lantieri, who cultivated the 4.5-hectare vineyard with great dedication. The vines grow on mineral soils of ash, fine brown sand, pumice and silicate.

Donnafugata's impressive declaration of love to Etna, currently the hottest wine hotspot, began with the Sul Vulcano line. Carricante is one of the most exciting grape varieties in southern Italy, capable of complexity and terroir-driven expression in the right soils. The vines for Donnafugata's only white wine from Etna grow on volcanic soils rich in minerals at an altitude of 700-750 metres. The wine is fermented in steel tanks before maturing partly in concrete tanks and partly in second and third choice barriques for 10 months and then a further nine months in the bottle.

The eruption of 1614 is legendary in the history of Etna, as it lasted ten years, making it the longest recorded eruption of the active volcano to date. A very impressive and fitting name for Planeta's Etna series of equally impressive wines. It could hardly be more autochthonous: this excellent wine from the Nerello Mascalese grape comes from the hotspot on the east coast of Sicily, from the slopes of Mount Etna. Bright cherry red in colour, a fine aroma of raspberry and blood orange, gripping, taut acidity, silky tannins and a lively elegance with beautiful minerality. Great, long and unique! SUPERIORE.DE

Etna Bianco is smoky in the glass and excites the senses with a burst of crushed rock and raw almonds before fading into a citrus-influenced peach. It is pleasantly soft and enveloping, with weighty textures supported by lively acidity. Mineral fruits and sweet spices meet on the palate. Finishes remarkably fresh yet grippy and long, leaving the mouth wanting more. The complexity of this wine is unrivalled for an entry-level Etna Bianco. SUPERIORE.DE

Terre Neres Etna Rosato opens flavoursome and animating in the glass. The bouquet has notes of fresh almonds, dried flowers, smoky mandarins and maritime minerals. The palate has an excellent, silky texture and ripe melon with white stone fruit. A salty character hovers over everything, mingling with vibrant acidity and traces of tannin, providing plenty of tension and balance. A fabulous rosé of polished elegance and purity. SUPERIORE.DE

Classic Etna Rosso from Nerello Mascalese with a small proportion of Nerello Cappuccio – grown at an altitude of over 700 metres in various contrade on the northern flank of the volcano, where ash, lava rock and the alpine microclimate form an unmistakable style. Medium ruby red in colour with a garnet-red rim. On the nose, fragrant sour cherry, redcurrant, humming berry, a metallic hint, floral notes and subtle spice. Precise on the palate, with cool fruit, lively acidity and fine-grained tannins. The ageing in used wooden barrels and cement tanks maintains the balance and expression of origin. An authentic, elegant Etna Rosso with good drinkability. SUPERIORE.DE

Marc de Grazia made Etna history when he rediscovered the forgotten volcanic slopes over two decades ago. His Etna Rosso – the "calling card" of the estate – today combines grapes from various locations between 600 and 900 metres above sea level, where Nerello Mascalese grows on ancient volcanic soils. The vines grow on the cool northern slopes of Mount Etna, surrounded by black pumice and lava rock – a terroir that lends each sip its unmistakable mineral signature.

When Giuseppe Russo talks about his rosato, his eyes light up with the same intensity as the powder-pink glow that settles over the Contrada San Lorenzo in the early days of October. Here, where eighty-year-old Nerello Mascalese vines are rooted in volcanic soil at an altitude of 700 metres, one of Italy's most elegant rosés is created – born from the perfect balance between timing and technique. The magic begins with the early manual harvest, when the grapes have that crystalline freshness that only the cool Etna nights can give. Giuseppe uses a traditional vertical press in which the whole grapes are gently pressed for five hours – long enough to extract the delicate colour, short enough to preserve the mineral elegance. No maceration on the skins, no artificial intervention: just the natural connection between grape and volcanic terroir. After spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts, the wine matures for six months in stainless steel, where it develops its characteristic finesse.

For many, Carricante is inextricably linked with Etna. But with Carjcanti, Gulfi shows that this grape variety can also develop its very own, characterful profile in the south-eastern hinterland of Chiaramonte Gulfi on calcareous and clayey soils at an altitude of around 600 metres. Organic cultivation, hand-picking in the cool morning hours and gentle ageing in stainless steel tanks followed by six months of storage on the fine lees – accompanied by regular bâtonnage – ensure complexity, texture and freshness at the same time.

The blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Syrah combines the aristocratic depth of Cabernet with the seductive flavour of Syrah - both grape varieties that find Mediterranean ripeness in the chalky, sun-drenched soils around Noto. Cultivated organically, this wine conveys the sunshine of Sicily with a down-to-earth character and structure. The wine was originally only intended for private occasions – a heartfelt project that today celebrates with its name the connection to people and moments that are more than mere consumption. The grapes for it (label: "only the best grapes") come from strictly selected plots around Noto, where chalky soils, salt winds and intense sunlight characterise the aroma and structure.

In 1984, Count Giuseppe Tasca d'Almerita wanted to celebrate his golden wedding anniversary with his wife Franca by creating a wine that told the family story and the history of the Tenuta at the same time. The uniqueness of the grape composition shows his romantic spirit: Inzolia and Sauvignon from the Tasca selection, the selection of a vineyard in Regaleali that dates back to the end of the First World War. The use of selected yeasts from the estate's own vineyards links this wine even more inextricably with the terroir from which it comes. Fresh in its youth, the wine is unexpectedly ageable and balances its tertiary aromas with the intensity of the fruit.