2022 Tornatore Zottorinotto Etna Bianco DOC, Sicily

The 2022 Etna Bianco shows classic varietal tones that are citrusy and bright. You also get floral notes, even soapy tones of lady's perfume, with a hint of something exotic such as saffron or cardamom seed. The wine is medium rich on the palate with sweet end notes of candy or lemon-lime merengue.

No one embodies the ambition of Etna more than Francesco Tornatore. This man does so thanks to the size of his vineyards (probably the largest private holdings on the northern side of the volcano), the volume of his winery and the fervor with which he discusses his new ideas.

A native son of Castiglione di Sicilia, the perched village that lends its name to the entire municipality where some of the best vineyards are located, Tornatore is part of a newer, second wave of wineries on the volcano. (Castiglione di Sicilia, by the way, is adorable, and is one of the locations of Italy's so-called one-euro houses that you may have heard of).

Tornatore amassed a fortune building digital components for telephone and communication lines, but he hoped for a return to his roots. His family had been making wine for generations, but he decided to build a new, technologically advanced winery in the 2000s. Today, he farms 60 hectares of young vines on huge stone terraces (which he painstakingly built) in Castiglione di Sicilia, with 40 additional hectares of vines.

The team at Tornatore is introducing a new wine, the 2019 Etna Rosso Calderara, with fruit from old vines. You will find it reviewed here. All of the wines were tasted at the estate in the company of Francesco Tornatore, his gracious wife and key members of his winemaking team.

89 points Monica Larner robertparker.com

Tornatore’s Zottorinotto Etna Bianco DOC is a flagship expression of Mount Etna’s white wine potential, crafted by a family whose roots in the region go back to 1865. The Zottorinotto vineyard lies on the northern slopes of the volcano in Castiglione di Sicilia at elevations of around 700 metres. Here, Carricante and a small portion of other native white grapes grow in deep, free-draining volcanic soils rich in minerals, with cool mountain nights and warm, sunny days giving fruit of exceptional aromatic intensity, minerality, and structure. Sustainable vineyard practices and careful, low-intervention winemaking ensure the purity of the terroir is front and centre.

In the glass, Zottorinotto Etna Bianco shows a pale straw colour with green reflections. The nose is strikingly fresh and complex, with aromas of lemon zest, white peach, and green apple, supported by notes of acacia blossom, almond, and a subtle smoky, flinty edge from the volcanic terroir. The palate is precise and textured, delivering layers of citrus, pear, and saline minerality balanced by crisp acidity. Partial fermentation and ageing in large oak barrels bring a gentle creaminess and length without obscuring the fruit’s vibrancy. The finish is long, clean, and marked by a distinctive savoury mineral signature.

This is a superb partner for Sicilian seafood such as grilled swordfish with lemon and capers, seared scallops, or prawns with garlic and olive oil. It also pairs beautifully with risotto al limone, fresh burrata with basil, or grilled vegetables drizzled with local olive oil. While delicious now for its energy and lift, it will evolve gracefully over 6 to 8 years, developing more nutty, honeyed complexity.