Benanti

Nerello Mascalese is known as the protagonist of the elegant Etna red wines – but as a rosato, this noble grape variety has a fascination all of its own. Benanti vinifies it as a single variety from the south-eastern slope of the volcano, where the vines are rooted in mineral-rich volcanic sands at an altitude of 500 to 700 metres. The grapes are harvested by hand at the beginning of October from vines on trellises that are on average 25 years old. After twelve hours of cold maceration, the grapes are gently pressed; only 65% of the must is transferred to the stainless steel tank. Ten days of fermentation at a controlled temperature with the winery's own Etna yeast, followed by maturation on the fine lees and two to three months of rest in the bottle.

A multifaceted introduction to the world of Benanti wines – this Etna Rosso reflects the diversity of the volcano. The grapes are grown at altitudes ranging from 450 to 900 metres, spread across all sides of Mount Etna. The soil is poor and volcanic-sandy, rich in minerals and perfectly aerated – conditions that foster finesse, freshness and a crystalline structure. 80% Nerello Mascalese/20% Nerello Cappuccio. The Nerello Mascalese is aged predominantly in stainless steel, with only around 20% in used oak barrels, whilst the Nerello Cappuccio remains entirely in stainless steel tanks. Both varieties ferment with Benanti's experimental, indigenous yeasts for several weeks at a controlled temperature, followed by blending and further ageing in the bottle.

An island within an island. That is how Giuseppe Benanti described Mount Etna, that world unto itself which he pioneered in 1988 as a trailblazer in modern Etna wines. Today, his sons Antonio and Salvino carry on his legacy: they are the only winery with vineyards on all four slopes of the volcano. The Etna Bianco is made from 100% Carricante from the eastern and southern slopes, where altitudes of between 700 and 950 metres, volcanic sandy soils and marked day-night temperature variations create ideal conditions. The vines, aged between 20 and 60 years, are trained partly using the traditional Alberello method and partly on trellises. Hand-harvested in mid-October, gently pressed, then fermented for twelve days at 18 °C in stainless steel using the estate's own Carricante yeast, selected from Etna vineyards. The wine is then aged on the fine lees and undergoes a short period of bottle ageing.

The Nerello Cappuccio from the south-western slopes of Mount Etna is a rare blend of finesse and character, and a noble remnant of the ancient volcanic culture. The grapes ripen at an altitude of 900 metres in Contrada Cavaliere, where sandy-volcanic soils, a high proportion of coarse gravel and excellent light penetration characterise the terroir. The vines are around 30 years old, trained strictly in the Albarello system, and yield concentrated harvestthat fully express their terroir. Winemaking follows a purist approach: selective hand-harvesting in October, complete destemming, controlled fermentation with the wine's own yeasts, and a maceration period of around two weeks. The wine is aged for around 12 months exclusively in stainless steel, after which it rests in the bottle until release.

L'amore mio – my love. Rarely does a wine carry its character so openly in its name. This rosé spumante is Benanti's declaration of love for the Nerello Mascalese – the noble red grape variety that is otherwise synonymous with elegant red wines with a Burgundian grace on Etna. As Metodo Classico, it reveals a completely different, no less enchanting side. The grapes come from the south and south-east slopes of the volcano, where the vines are rooted between 700 and 750 metres in mineral-rich volcanic sands. Hand-picked, whole bunch pressing without destemming, fermentation at 16–18 °C in stainless steel. The base wine rests on the fine lees until late spring, followed by bottle fermentation with selected yeasts. After 24 months on the lees, disgorgement and dosage take place; a further three months of rest complete the maturation.

In September 1911, lava from an eruption that formed the north-eastern crater of Mount Etna covered part of the old vineyards at Dafara Galluzzo. When Giuseppe Benanti founded his winery in 1988, the vineyards were located in Castiglione di Sicilia and Milo. Rovittello is part of Castiglione, and it is there that Dafara Galluzzo lies at an altitude of 750 metres on the northern slope of Mount Etna. The Nerello Mascalese vines grow as low bushes on small terraces, supported by dry stone walls made of lava rock, in sandy, mineral-rich volcanic soil, in a humid climate with significant temperature variations. Amongst the predominantly young vines are a few that are over a hundred years old and ungrafted. The grapes are harvested by hand at the end of October. The destemmed berries remain on the mash in stainless steel for around 21 days, with fermentation carried out by yeast from the vineyard itself. The wine is then aged for twelve months in used French tonneaux, followed by ageing in stainless steel tanks, and around ten months of bottle ageing.

Whilst the Bianco from Cavaliere captivates with its freshness and salinity, the Rosso reveals the other side of this exceptional terroir: Burgundian elegance, volcanic depth and a tannin structure of silky precision. At an altitude of 900 metres on the south-western slope of Mount Etna – higher than most of Etna's vineyards – 50-year-old Nerello Mascalese vines are trained using the Guyot system. The skeletal volcanic sands, with their sub-acidic profile and excellent drainage, force the roots deep into the soil. Low rainfall, abundant sunshine and dramatic day-night temperature fluctuations characterise a microclimate that endows the grapes with exceptional aromatic complexity. Hand-harvested in mid-October, destemmed, then 21 days of maceration at a controlled temperature using the estate's own Etna yeasts – the result of years of research. The wine matures for twelve months in French tonneaux, then in stainless steel, followed by ten months' ageing in bottle.

A different location, a different profile: Contrada Calderana Sottana comes from a special place. In the Calderana Sottana sub-zone, south-east of the summit, where the altitude begins and the soil consists of fine volcanic loam and sand, vines take root at over 700 metres, basking in the early morning sun, and shaped at night by cool temperatures and high-altitude winds – a terroir that fosters both intensity and freshness in equal measure. Made from 100% Nerello Mascalese, traditionally trained using the Alberello method, the wine undergoes controlled fermentation and a short maceration period, followed by ageing for around 12 months in tonneaux. This ageing process is regarded as a delicate art – it shapes and emphasises the wine’s character without overpowering it.

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.

This is where it all began. In Viagrande, on the south-eastern slope of Mount Etna, where Giuseppe Benanti's grandfather planted the first vines at the end of the 19th century, lies the heart of the estate. The Contrada Monte Serra is no ordinary vineyard – it rises on an extinct volcanic cone that once erupted independently of the main crater, and whose pyroclastic deposits created a unique soil: light, rich in mineral matter, with exceptional drainage. At an altitude of just 450 metres, closer to the Ionian Sea than the other Contrade, the grapes ripen earlier here and develop a softer, more approachable elegance. The vines – some over 100 years old – are trained in the traditional "alberello" style on small terraces with dry stone walls made of lava rock, at an extremely high density of 9,000 vines per hectare. The sandy volcanic soils are rich in "ripiddu", the characteristic small pumice fragments found on Mount Etna.

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.

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.

L'amore mio – my love. Rarely does a wine carry its character so openly in its name. This rosé spumante is Benanti's declaration of love for the Nerello Mascalese – the noble red grape variety that is otherwise synonymous with elegant red wines with a Burgundian grace on Etna. As Metodo Classico, it reveals a completely different, no less enchanting side. The grapes come from the south and south-east slopes of the volcano, where the vines are rooted between 700 and 750 metres in mineral-rich volcanic sands. Hand-picked, whole bunch pressing without destemming, fermentation at 16–18 °C in stainless steel. The base wine rests on the fine lees until late spring, followed by bottle fermentation with selected yeasts. After 24 months on the lees, disgorgement and dosage take place; a further three months of rest complete the maturation.

In the year 1474 AD. The name "Serra della Contessa" – the Countess's ridge – appears for the first time in a Latin notarial deed. Over half a millennium later, this place has come to epitomise what is possible on the volcanic soils of Mount Etna: a red wine of timeless elegance that captures the soul of this unique terroir in liquid form. Particella No. 587 is situated in the Contrada Monte Serra on the south-eastern slope of the volcano, where, in the late 19th century, the great-grandfather of the current owners, Antonio and Salvino Benanti, began making wine. At an altitude of just 500 metres, Monte Serra is the lowest of Etna's extinct secondary craters – and also the place where the family's history began. Since the first bottling in 1998, knowledge of this special vineyard has matured here, until Benanti decided in 2015 to vinify the small plot, with its pre-phylloxera, ungrafted century-old vines, separately and subject it to an exceptional 60-month ageing programme.

Near Viagrande stands a volcanic cone that erupted independently: its vent was separate from Etna's large magma chamber. What it left behind is light, loose material through which water sinks rapidly, and the vines follow it down into the depths. On the south-eastern slope, at altitudes between 450 and 500 metres, the air remains in constant motion, and the grapes ripen slightly earlier than elsewhere on the mountain. Right at the top lies a small, very steep plot, 85 to 90% of which is planted with Nerello Mascalese, alongside Nerello Cappuccio – bush vines planted before the phylloxera epidemic and now up to a hundred years old. The wine has been produced as a Riserva since 2015, made exclusively from this plot and in small quantities, with vinification, ageing and refinement taking a total of 60 months.

Particella No. 341. A plot number that has long since become the stuff of legend amongst Etna connoisseurs. Here, in the Contrada Dafara Galluzzo in the upper reaches of Rovittello, stand vines that have never left Europe – ungrafted Alberello vines that have been rooted in the volcanic sands of the northern slope for over a century. When Giuseppe Benanti began to realise his vision of modern Etna wine in 1988, the classic Rovittello was one of his first red wines. The experience matured over almost three decades – until, in 2015, the winery decided to vinify this unique plot separately and elevate it to Riserva status through an exceptional ageing programme totalling 60 months.

Particella No. 341. A plot number that has long since become legendary amongst Etna connoisseurs. For almost thirty years, Benanti produced an Etna Rosso Rovittello, then in 2015 the estate decided to focus entirely on this small section of the vineyard, planted before the phylloxera epidemic. It is situated in the upper Rovittello area near Castiglione di Sicilia, on a north-facing slope at 750 metres, where the climate is damp and windy and temperatures fluctuate greatly. Walls of lava stone, laid without mortar, support the narrow terraces. Here stand bush vines over a hundred years old, never grafted, planted as a mixed vineyard comprising around 90% Nerello Mascalese and the remainder Nerello Cappuccio, with 9,000 to 10,000 vines and a yield of around 5,500 kilos per hectare. The soil is sandy and rich in minerals; it was formed more than ten thousand years ago.