2021 Benanti Contrada Rinazzo Bianco DOC, Sicily

This wine is very linear and tight, definitely requiring a few more years of bottle age to flesh out and develop. At this young stage, the Benanti 2021 Etna Bianco Superiore Contrada Rinazzo is focused on citrus, green melon and Granny Smith apple. Give this wine a year or two more in the bottle to develop some of those pretty Carricante tones of flint, crushed stone and yellow rose.

Earlier this year, Etna lost one of its most transformational figures. Giuseppe Benanti was among the first to envision a modern and vibrant wine scene on the volcano. He died on February 1, 2023, at 78 years old. Not only did he live to see and enjoy the wine scene he had envisaged, he paved the way for a new generation of vintners to follow. Etna is one of Italy's most exciting wine territories today, and much of the credit goes to Giuseppe Benanti. Before making wine, Mr. Benanti ran a pharmaceutical company. He enjoyed a passion for wine and started to look for vineyards to buy on Etna in the 1980s. One of the first parcels he purchased was in the Pietramarina location. In 1988, he founded a winery in Castiglione di Sicilia called Tenuta di Castiglione on the northern side of the volcano. Salvo Foti joined as winemaker, and the team also relied on the expertise of specialists from around the world. Some 10 years later, he moved his winery to Viagrande on the southeastern side of Etna and named it Benanti. Benanti was the first estate I visited on Etna back in the early 2000s. I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that. The excellence of Benanti wines attracted wine lovers from all over the world when the area was relatively unknown. I still remember the thrill of tasting his white wine Pietramarina made from 100-year-old Carricante vines. It was a must first encounter, with the distinct taste profile that comes with wines made on the volcano. Giuseppe's sons Antonio and Salvino joined the winery in 2012. In October 2022, wine and fashion entrepreneur Renzo Rosso bought a 40% share of Benanti. Giuseppe Benanti is survived by his wife and sons.

93+ points ML robertparker.com