Wine Tastings
The Benanti winery was founded in 1988 by Giuseppe Benanti, a pharmaceutical entrepreneur from
Catania who decided to turn his family’s long standing traditional passion into an ambitious and
challenging new venture. Wine had been produced by the family for several generations, mostly for
private consumption, until Giuseppe finally decided to establish the winery with the aim of preserving the
unique terroir of Etna’s volcanic slopes, whilst cherishing and developing the indigenous Etnean
varieties.
The winery is now run by Giuseppe’s two sons Antonio and Salvino who have continued the original aim
to respect the varietal characteristics of the Etnean varieties, by adopting and maintaining a very
traditional approach and philosophy. Describing their wines as ‘slow wines’, the brothers ensure nothing
is rushed in Benanti winemaking; they are committed to producing only high quality wines from
vineyards located on different slopes of Mount Etna, so as to highlight the uniqueness of the many
different terroirs within the Etna DOC region. The family now owns vineyards in different DOC areas to
the north, south, and east of the Etnean massif allowing them to produce an intriguing range of wines
from the indigenous varieties Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccio, Carricante and Minnella.
The area provides a unique microclimate due partly to the proximity to the sea, partly to the volcanic soil
and also to the cone-shaped surface of the slopes which provide excellent exposure to the sun. The sea
breezes and the altitude ensure the grapes are cooled in what would otherwise be a very hot climate,
and therefore the ripening process reaches its full potential but, crucially, without being rushed.
Benanti is considered both an iconic producer and a pioneer that has set a very high standard and has
certainly inspired other wineries. With a history of 22 harvest seasons on Etna, Benanti has worked
every day with an ever-increasing passion to perfect the presentation of Etna both as a land and a
community, and its native grape varieties.
Etna Bianco, Benanti, Sicily
£25.95
The Etna Bianco is produced with Carricante grapes that grow in 35-50 year old vineyards on the southern and eastern slopes of Mount Etna at about 700 – 950 metres above sea level. Due to the substantial difference in diurnal temperatures, the grapes are late ripening and are harvested by hand in the last fortnight of October. After being gently pressed, the fruit is slowly fermented in stainless steels vats at 18-20°C using patented selected indigenous yeasts for 15 days. And is then left to mature in the same vats before 2 months of bottle refinement.
Pale yellow in colour, this wine displays delicious ripe red and green apple aromas with a hint of ripe pear. On the palate the intense fruit is complimented by a slightly rich mouthful and balanced by a refreshing acidity and a bright aromatic persistance on the finish.
Use this like you would a Chablis and you won’t go far wrong; minerally, crunchy and dry, it marries perfectly with salmon dishes.
2 in stock
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Frappato, Mandrarossa, Sicily
The Mandrarossa wines come from a selection of the best sites from Cantine Settesoli’s 6,000 hectares of vineyard, situated in southwestern Sicily and planted with 32 different grape varieties. The vineyards are split between the 2,000 members of the co-op, and cover the area around Selinunte, the hauntingly beautiful ruins of a Greek town founded 2,600 years ago. Cantine Settesoli helps to support the restoration of this archaeological site.
First produced in 1999, Mandrarossa has opened its own winery in 2021, a completely sustainable winery fed by solar panels and well integrated with the surrounding hills. The winery has increasingly focused on single-site wines, as it was conceived after the diverse soils of the vineyards were mapped, enabling the winemakers to focus on what were then ranked their best sites. Under the leadership of co-operative president Giuseppe Bursi, consultant winemaker Alberto Antonini has sought to improve viticulture, which has resulted in better wines.
This Frappato (grape variety), is perfumed, light and fresh. Lots of juicy red fruit flavours and great balance make this a versatile food wine. Perfect with pizza and light meat dishes, it can also be chilled and drunk with fish dishes.
