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White wine made in Sicily, Italy.
Vineyard in Contrada Cavaliere, south-west slope of Mount Etna, within the municipality of Santa Maria di Licodia. This contrada is known for its high elevation, low rainfall rate and abundant luminosity.
Made from 100% Carricante, Etna’s noble autochthonous white grape variety. The vines are grown on sandy, volcanic soils that are rich in minerals, with sub-acid reaction. The 50-year-old vines are trained in rows and pruned using the Guyot system. The mountainous climate is humid but less rainy than in other areas of Etna in the colder season, with good ventilation and very significant temperature changes between day and night.
The grapes are harvested by hand after the second week of October. In the cellar, they are de-stemmed and pressed softly. Fermentation takes place over about 12 days in stainless steel tanks at controlled temperature, using a specific autochthonous yeast selected in the vineyard by Benanti after years research and experimentation. The wine is left to mature in the tank on its fine lees with periodic stirrings for 12 months. The wine then spends 6 months in the bottle before it is released.
The wine aromas are intense, ample and delicate, with hints of orange blossom and ripe apple. Dry on the palate, and mineral, with a pleasant acidity and an aromatic persistence of anise and almond on the finish.