Benanti Serra della Contessa Particella 587 Etna Rosso Riserva 300cl 2017

“From: Surpassing Expectations: New Releases from Sicily (Sep 2023)

Crushed rocks, rose petals and dried strawberries form a dusty and darkly alluring bouquet as the 2017 Etna Rosso Riserva Serra della Contessa Particella No. 587 grumbles up from the glass. It’s silky-smooth and elegant in style. Polished red fruits and mineral tones add traction under an air of violet inner florals. Hints of sour citrus combine with a bump of residual acidity to add balance, even as grippy tannins clamp down hard through the long and structured finale. Today, the 2017 is primary, yet its potential is very high.” 2025 – 2033
94+ Points, Eric Guido, Vinous

The grapes are hand-harvested and selected in late September or early October. Fermentation takes place in a stainless steel vat at a controlled temperature of 25° C, with a long 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. Malolactic fermentation takes place in stainless steel, then maturation occurs in large barrels of French oak (15hl) for about 24 months. The refining period in the bottle is 12 months.

The color is ruby with light tints of garnet. The nose is ethereal and intense, with hints of wild berries, spices and noble wood. The palate is full, elegant, harmonic, mineral, significantly persistent and reasonably tannic.

Nerello Mascalese (c.85%), Etna’s noble indigenous red variety, and Nerello Cappuccio (c.15%), a grape cultivated on Etna for centuries, co-planted in the same vineyard.
The very steep vineyard is planted on a sandy, volcanic soil, rich in minerals and pumice lava stones, with sub-acid reaction. The head-trained bush vines (“alberello”) are pre-phylloxera and ungrafted, with a planting density of 9,000 to 10,000 vinestocks per hectare and a yield of 4,500 kg/ha. The area’s high hill climate, mitigated by the proximity to the Ionian Sea, is humid and rainy in the cooler season, with constant good ventilation and high luminosity.