Etna Bianco DOC 2023 · 6 bottles in OWC

Giovanni Rosso | Montedolce | Sicily
Azienda Agricola Giovanni Rosso | Via Roddino 10/1 | IT 12050 Serralunga d’Alba

19290223 · 4,5 l · 44,89 €/l · Price (DE) incl. VAT, excl. Shipping1 unit available

In 1975, the Carricante vines were planted, which today bear the Etna Bianco by Giovanni Rosso. Almost five decades of roots in volcanic lava sand, at 730 to 750 metres, exposed to the north-north-east – where the sun has to fight all day and the grapes ripen slowly, cool and with rare aromatic precision. Davide Rosso discovered this spot in 2014 and bought the property two years later. What attracted him was the same logic that guides him in Serralunga: not terroir for the sake of terroir, but one that characterises the wine, without help, without make-up. The soils of the Contrada Montedolce – volcanic sand, ash, mineral-rich subsoil, aerated and drained like hardly any other site on the northern slope – gave him what he was looking for. The old Alberello vines, trained with a double inverted Guyot, bear little. But what they do bear is concentrated. Hand-picked in October. Spontaneous fermentation at cool temperatures in stainless steel for 15 to 20 days. Five months sur lie with weekly bâtonnage. No wood. The vinification is silence – the wine should speak.

Bright straw yellow in colour. The bouquet shows more maturity and depth than the younger Contrade Nuove: broom, candied ginger, tangerine blossom, yellow peach, a hint of salted caramel and the typical volcanic minerality that you smell once and never forget. Full-bodied and surprisingly taut on the palate – round fullness thanks to the fine lees, vibrant freshness due to the altitude, and a long, salty-spicy finish that quotes the soil from which it comes. The northern slope of Etna has long been a secret for red wine producers. We now know that there is no better place for Carricante here. SUPERIORE.DE

"The 2023 Etna Bianco is wild, fresh and focused, exuding a beautiful blend of peach sorbet, mint leaves and white smoke. It is both juicy and refined, with crisp orchard fruit and a hint of candied citrus enlivening the palate. Crisp minerality combines with lime and nectarine; the finish is long and leaves the mouth watering." Vinous

"A restrained lemony profile for this Etna, full of broom flowers and a rich stone fruit centre. Lively palate with zesty acidity and a weighty, silky texture. Long, floral finish." James Suckling