Country: Italy, Sicily

WINE AWARDS:
90/100 WINE SPECTATOR
91/100 RAFAELLE VECCHIONE

Nerello Mascalese is a highly regarded, dark-skinned grape variety that grows most commonly on the volcanic slopes of Mount Etna in Sicily. Its wines, which have had a rapid upsurge in popularity in the last decade, tend to reflect their surroundings, giving taut, fresh red wines with fruity, herbaceous flavours, excellent minerality, and an earthy nuance. Nerello Mascalese wines often have a perfume reminiscent of those of the noble wines of Barolo and Burgundy.

Grapes selected from vineyards located on the Southeastern slope of Mount Etna.

The grapes are harvested by hand in early October and de-stemmed. They then undergo pre-fermentative cold maceration for 12 hours and are then soft-pressed to obtain 65% of the free-run juice. Fermentation lasts 10 days and occurs in a stainless steel vat, at a controlled temperature, without any skin contact, with the aid of Benanti’s indigenous yeast, which was selected from local vineyards through years of research and experimentation in the cellar. The wine matures on the fine lees and then refines in the bottle for 2-3 months.

Tasting Notes:  The wine has a pink/salmon colour. The nose is intense, delicate, floral with hints of broom and fruity with hints of blackberry and cherry. The palate is dry, fresh, saline, and mineral, lightly tannic, and with a distinct aromatic persistence of red fruit notes.

Serving temperature: 10 – 12°C.

Food Pairing:  This wine pairs well with cold cuts, fresh cheeses, vegetables, white meats, fish, and shellfish. Very suitable for by-the-glass consumption.

Benanti is a wine producer located on the slopes of Mount Etna on the Italian island of Sicily. It was established in the late 19th century and has been making wine from indigenous grape varieties in the Etnean terroir since. Today, Benanti has expanded to encompass vineyards in Pachino on the southernmost tip of Sicily and in Pantelleria, just off Sicily`s western coastline.