Carricante takes its name from carico, meaning 'charged, loaded, burdened' which refers to the abundant fruit on the vine. 100% Carricante from the northern slopes of Mount Etna, 800 metres above sea level.
The vines are bush trained and grown on sandy loam soil. Vinification and maturation are in stainless steel and the wine shows floral and lemon curd notes with pronounced minerality and unabashed acidity typical to Etna.
Light, buoyant and luminous, the 2012 Etna Bianco Superiore Pietra Marina is a sophisticated and true expression of Sicily's native Carricante grape. The wine shows tonic linearity and long determination, with citrus flavors, white peach and Golden Delicious apple. You also get a touch of volcanic sulfur and natural rubber that helps achieve a squeaky, extra polished texture. This Etna white shows good promise for long cellar aging, and those mineral notes will emerge with more intensity in time.
92+/100 Monica Larner, Sep 2017, The Wine Advocate, Drink 2017-2026