84. Benanti
Salvino Benanti
Giuseppe Fiorito
Via Giuseppe Garibaldi 361
IT - 95029 Viagrande
Catania
+39 095 789 33 99
info@benanti.it
www.benanti.it
Certification:
Suolo e Salute
Wine-growing region:
SICILY
A key family in Etna's history.
An innovative vision with the goal of producing excellent wines: this is the Benanti credo, a long-established family with Bolognese origins that boasts a centuries-old history. The Sicilian branch of the Benanti family was born in 1734, when a descendant was sent to Sicily by Vittorio Amedeo d’Aosta. At the end of the nineteenth century Giuseppe Benanti began producing wine from local Etna grapes. Since those first vintages, generations of our family have been in love with making wine on the volcano, and we have transformed a 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 our production.
The Benanti family has been instrumental in Etna’s viticulture throughout history, contributing first hand to its evolution. Now managed by Giuseppe Benanti’s two sons, Antonio and Salvino Benanti, the winery has an annual production of about 250,000 bottles that are distributed throughout the most important markets worldwide.
Established:1988 (initially as “Tenuta di Castiglione”)
First harvest:1988
First bottled vintage: 1990
First wines to market Rovittello Etna Rosso DOC 1990 and Pietra Marina Etna Bianco Superiore DOC 1990, released at Vinitaly 1993
2022 Benanti Etna Bianco
Etna DOC Bianco
Carricante
White wine
Carricante grapes selected from vineyards located on the Eastern and Southern slopes of Mount Etna.
The vines are grown on sandy, volcanic soils that are rich in minerals, with sub-acid reaction. Plants range in age from 20 to 60 years and are trained in both “alberello” (head-trained bush) and spurred cordon systems, with densities of 6,000 to 7,000 vinestocks per hectare and yields of 7,000 to 8,000 kg/ha. Vineyards vary in elevation from 700 m (c. 2,300 ft) to 950 m (c. 3,100 ft) a.s.l. The climate type ranges from high hill to mountain, with a humid and rainy cooler season, high ventilation and a significant diurnal range.
In the cellar.
The grapes are harvested by hand around mid-October, de-stemmed and soft-pressed. Fermentation lasts 12 days and takes place in stainless steel vats at a controlled temperature of 18°C, with the aid of Benanti’s own indigenous yeast, which was selected from local vineyards through years of research and experimentation in the celllar. The wine then matures in stainless steel on the fine lees for a while and then refines in the bottle for 2-3 months.
In the glass.
The wine has a pale yellow color, with bright greenish tints. The nose is intense and delicate with hints of apple. The palate is dry and mineral with pleasant acidity and salinity, persistent and harmonious.
2021 Benanti Etna Rosso
Etna DOC Rosso
Nerello Mascalese 80% / Nerello Cappuccio 20%
Red wine
Grapes of Nerello Mascalese (c.80-85%) and Nerello Cappuccio (c.15-20%) selected from vineyards located on the North, South-east and South-west slopes of Mount Etna.. Vines range in age from 10 to 60 years and are trained in both “alberello” (head-trained bush) and spurred cordon systems, with densities of 6,000 to 8,000 vinestocks per hectare and yields of 7,000 to 8,000 kg/ha. Vineyards vary in elevation from 450 m (c. 1,500 ft) to 900 m (c. 2,950 ft) a.s.l. The climate type ranges from high hill to mountain, with a humid and rainy cooler season, high ventilation, luminosity and a significant diurnal range.
In the cellar: grapes are harvested by hand in October and de-stemmed. The two varieties are vinified separately. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel vats at a controlled temperature, with medium-length maceration, with the aid of Benanti’s own indigenous yeast, which was selected from local vineyards through years of research and experimentation in the cellar. Nerello Cappuccio matures only in stainless steel. About 80% of the Nerello Mascalese matures in stainless steel, while the remaining 20% matures in second-passage French oak barriques for 8-10 months. After bottling, the wine refines for 2-3 months.
T he wine has a pale ruby red color. The nose is ethereal and intense with hints of red fruits. The palate is dry and mineral with pleasant acidity and salinity, persistent and harmonious.
2021 Benanti Contrada Cavaliere
Etna DOC Rosso
Nerello Mascalese
Red wine
Vineyard of Nerello Mascalese in Contrada Cavaliere, on the South-western slope of Mount Etna, within the municipality of Santa Maria di Licodia (CT). This area is known for its high elevation (900 m a.s.l. / 2,950 ft a.s.l.), low rainfall rate and abundant luminosity.
The 50-year-old vines are organized in rows and pruned in Guyot, with a density of 6,500 plants per hectare and a yield of 6,000 kg/ha. 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.
In the cellar.
Following the manual harvest around mid October, the grapes are fully de-stemmed in the cellar, where fermentation with maceration takes place in stainless steel at a controlled temperature over approximately 21 days, using only indigenous Etna yeasts selected by the winery after a long direct experimentation. The wine matures in French oak tonneaux for 12 months and then in stainless steel and then it spends about 10 months in the bottles before it is released.
In the glass.
The wine has a noble ruby color. On the nose, aromas of red fruit merge with warming herbs and spices. The palate is dry, medium- to full-bodied and structured with ripe tannins and a persistent, harmonious finish.
2021 Benanti Contrada Rinazzo
Etna DOC Bianco Superiore
Carricante
White wine
Vineyards of Carricante in Contrada Rinazzo, on the Eastern slope of Mount Etna within the territory of Milo (CT). The contrada is particularly well-known for its elevation (approximately 800 m a.s.l. / 2,600 ft a.s.l.), abundant luminosity, continuous ventilation and exposure to the sea.
The young vines are grown with a traditional alberello system and rest against a chestnut pole, with a planting density of about 8,000 plants per hectare and a yield of 6,500 kg/ha. The mountainous climate is humid and rainy and snowy in the colder seasons, with extremely good ventilation and significant changes between day and night temperatures.
The grapes are hand-harvested after mid October. In the cellar, they are de-stemmed and pressed softly. Fermentation takes place at a temperature of about 18°C in stainless steel vats over 12 days, using a specific indigenous Etna yeast that has been selected by our team after many years of research and experimentation in the vineyard and in the cellar. The wine is left to mature in stainless steel on its own fine lees, with frequent stirrings, over 12 months. The wine then ages for another 6 months in the bottle before it is released.
The wine appears straw yellow with bright green reflections. The nose is delicate but intense, rich and generous, with mild fruity notes of orange blossom and ripe apple. The palate is dry, mineral, and harmoniously balanced with a pleasant acidity and an aromatic persistence with hints of anise and almond.
2021 Benanti Contrada Monte Serra
Etna DOC Rosso
Nerello Mascalese
Red wine
Vineyards of Nerello Mascalese in Contrada Monte Serra, on the South-east slope of Mount Etna, within the territory of Viagrande (CT). Elevation is 450 m. a.s.l. / 1,500 ft a.s.l.
Vines are planted in sandy, volcanic soil, rich in “ripiddu” (small pumice lava stones) and minerals, with sub-acid reaction. The plants are of mixed ages and include some 100 year old ones, all trained in alberello, with a planting density of about 9,000 vinestocks per hectare and a yield of approximately 6,500 kg/ha. The climate is hilly, humid and rainy in the colder season, with good ventilation and significant swings between day and evening temperatures.
Following the manual harvest in late September or early October and full de-stemming, maceration and fermentation take place in stainless steel at controlled temperatures over approximately 21 days, using only indigenous Etna yeasts that have been selected by the winery after a long experimentation. The wine then ages in French oak tonneaux for 12 months and then in stainless steel. The wine then spends about 10 months in the bottle before being released.
The color is pale ruby with garnet nuances. Lofty aromas of red fruits and spices are complemented by similar characteristics on the palate, which is dry and medium- to full-bodied, with smoother tannins, and a persistent, harmonious finish.
2021 Benanti Contrada Calderara Sottana
Etna DOC Rosso
Nerello Mascalese
Red wine
Vineyards of Nerello Mascalese in Contrada Calderara Sottana, on the northern slope of Mount Etna, within the territory of Randazzo (CT). This contrada is historically particularly suited to grow Nerello Mascalese. Elevation: almost 700 m. a.s.l. / 2,295 ft a.s.l.
In the vineyard.
Old vines with a North-facing aspect. The trellis vineyard is planted on a stony, volcanic soil, rich in organic substances and minerals, with a sub-acid reaction. The vines, about 40 years old, are trained with a spurred cordon system, with a planting density of about 6,500 vines per hectare and a yield of about 6,000 kg / ha. The mountain climate is humid, with adequate rainfall in the colder season, a very good ventilation and extremely significant swings between day and night temperatures.
In the cellar.
Following the manual harvest in late October, the grapes are fully de-stemmed in the cellar, where fermentation with maceration takes place in stainless steel at a controlled temperature over approximately 21 days, using only proprietary indigenous Etna yeasts selected by the winery after a long direct experimentation. The wine matures in French oak tonneaux for 12 months and then in stainless steel and then it spends about 10 months in the bottle before it is released.
Pale, ruby color. The nose is ethereal, spicy, with hints of ripe red fruit. The palate is dry, full, tannic, complex, persistent.
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