Sicily, Italy
Benanti is a prestigious, historic winery, recognized as a pioneer of fine wine making on the Etna volcano. At the end of the nineteenth century Giuseppe Benanti began producing wine from local Etna grapes. Since those first vintages, generations of the Benanti family have been in love with making wine on the volcano, and have transformed their passion into mastery for enhancing the peculiarities of indigenous vines in a territory that is indomitable and diverse. The research and creation of authentic wines, capable of celebrating the Etna terroir in its various expressions, have become a distinctive feature of their production.
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Etna Rosso
| SKU | 28726 |
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Sicily |
| Type | Red |
| Varietal | Blend - Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccio |
| Listing | Speculative |
| Case Config. | 6x750ml |
| Available In | BC AB |
Colour
Deep ruby.
Aroma
Wild berry aromas, anise seed, dark mineral and crushed flint.
Flavour
Juicy black cherry, raspberry compote, cinnamon, white pepper and clove while a mineral note backs up the lingering finish.
Food Pairing
Red meats, matured cheeses, overall a versatile wine.
More Info
Grapes are grown in a high hill climate, humid and rainy in the cooler season, with high ventilation and luminosity and significant temperature excursions. Grapes are hand picked during October and de-stemmed. Fermentation occurs at a controlled temperature of 25°C in stainless steel vats, with a 20-21 days long maceration, using patented selected indigenous yeasts. About 80% of the wine then matures in stainless steel tanks, while about 20% matures in French oak barriques for 8-10 months).
Wine Spectator, Feb/2024
2021 -
"This fresh, harmonious red layers flavors of black cherry, Earl Grey tea, milled pepper and fine tannins with a base note of tar-tinged minerality, which emerges to linger on the finish. Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio. Drink now through 2030. 15,155 cases made, 4,167 cases imported."
Antonio Galloni's Vinous, Jun/2023
2021 -
"The 2021 Etna Rosso opens with a dusty bouquet of dried black cherries, sage and savory spice. It's surprisingly round and juicy with pure red berry fruits and inner rose tones. The 2021 finishes a bit short and dry, with a light coating of tannins and traces of licorice."
Antonio Galloni's Vinous, Jun/2023
2020 -
"A vivid blend of crushed cherries and strawberries offset by dusty and rose and spice wafts up from the 2020 Etna Rosso. This is round with a pretty inner sweetness and lifted textures, showcasing ripe red and blue fruits over a core of vibrant acidity. It lingers long yet is only lightly tannic, with a flourish of licorice that echoes on. This is a fantastic Etna Rosso and introduction to the house style."
Antonio Galloni's Vinous, Jun/2022
2019 -
"The 2019 Etna Rosso is savory in the glass with dried strawberries, dusty rose and hints of wet stone forming a slightly understated bouquet. It’s fleshy in feel, yet balance is maintained through a blend of tart red berries and brisk acidity..."
James Suckling, Dec/2020
2018 -
"Plum, strawberry and cherry aromas and flavors with firm tannins that are chewy, yet fine grained."
Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate, Oct/2019
2017 -
"The 2017 Etna Rosso (made with 80% Nerello Mascalese and 20% Nerello Cappuccio) offers a very smoky and ashy bouquet that tells you, without any doubt, that this is a wine from the mighty Etna volcano. Rose petal and light berry aromas blur and soften the lines of those pretty mineral notes that are so strong at the beginning. Blue violets and blueberries are delicate accents that fill out the close. This vintage really pulls it all together nicely, a great pairing for pappardelle with wild chanterelle mushrooms. With 70,000 bottles made, this is an accessible wine offered at a great value."
Wine Spectator, Oct/2018
2016 -
Antonio Galloni's Vinous, Aug/2019
2016 -
"Luminous, very pretty deep red color. Fresh red cherry, berries and flint on the enticing nose. Then crisp and juicy with lively herbal and floral nuances to the red cherry fruit flavors. Finishes long and vibrant with hints of fresh ginger and minerals. A lovely entry-level wine."
Antonio Galloni's Vinous, Jun/2017
2015 -
"Lovely bright dark red color. Slightly reticent aromas of red cherry, rosehip, raspberry and minerals. Then lively and balanced, with juicy red berry and sweet spice flavors. Finishes with bright acidity and rising but polished tannins. An outstanding Etna Rosso; not the last word in concentration or complexity but grows on you on the finish. A blend of Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio that clocks in at a well balanced 13% alcohol."
Wine Enthusiast, Aug/2016
2014 -
Editor's Choice "Made with 85% Nerello Mascalese and 15% Nerello Cappuccio, this radiant red boasts a beautiful fragrance of blue and red flower, ripe berry, cake spice and aromatic herb. The radiant, delicious palate doles out layers of juicy black cherry, raspberry compote, cinnamon, white pepper and clove while a mineral note backs up the lingering finish. It's young but balanced, with bright acidity and tightly wound but refined tannins."
Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate, Aug/2017
2014 -
"The Benanti 2014 Etna Rosso Nerello Mascalese is a tight and elegantly streamlined wine with a firm tannic structure that is followed by dehydrated tones of wild cherry, forest fruit, grilled herb and balsam herb. Flint, mineral and licorice are also thrown into the aromatic presentation. Fruit is sourced from both the northern and the southern flank of the Etna volcanic cone."
Wine Enthusiast, Sept/2016
2013 -
"Alluring aromas of Mediterranean herb, leather, berry, tangerine zest and menthol come together in the glass. The palate is youthfully austere, offering tart red cherry, strawberry, star anise and graphite alongside firm, fine-grained tannins that grip the finish. Give this a few years to let the tannins unwind then drink."