Benanti - Contrada Rinazzo Etna Bianco Superiore 2021 (750ml)
Kerin O'Keefe: 94 Points
From one of the pioneers in Etna?s Quality wine revolution comes the 2021 Etna Bianco Superiore Contrada Rinazzo from Benanti. Made with 100% Carricante cultivated on the Eastern slope facing the sea it?s bone-dry pristine and pure delivering floral aromas of Spanish broom and stone fruit that carry over to the radiant palate along with green apple peach Myer lemon and tangy saline. Vibrant acidity lends great energy. Enjoy now or hold for complexity. Drink through 2033. Abv: 12.5% Kerin O?Keefe October 2023 ©kerinokeefe.com
dWine Advocate: 93+ Points
This wine is very linear and tight definitely requiring a few more years of bottle age to flesh out and develop. At this young stage the Benanti 2021 Etna Bianco Superiore Contrada Rinazzo is focused on citrus green melon and Granny Smith apple. Give this wine a year or two more in the bottle to develop some of those pretty Carricante tones of flint crushed stone and yellow rose. Earlier this year Etna lost one of its most transformational figures. Giuseppe Benanti was among the first to envision a modern and vibrant wine scene on the volcano. He died on February 1 2023 at 78 years old. Not only did he live to see and enjoy the wine scene he had envisaged he paved the way for a new generation of vintners to follow. Etna is one of Italy's most exciting wine territories today and much of the credit goes to Giuseppe Benanti. Before making wine Mr. Benanti ran a pharmaceutical company. He enjoyed a passion for wine and started to look for vineyards to buy on Etna in the 1980s. One of the first parcels he purchased was in the Pietramarina location. In 1988 he founded a winery in Castiglione di Sicilia called Tenuta di Castiglione on the northern side of the volcano. Salvo Foti joined as winemaker and the team also relied on the expertise of specialists from around the world. Some 10 years later he moved his winery to Viagrande on the southeastern side of Etna and named it Benanti. Benanti was the first estate I visited on Etna back in the early 2000s. I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that. The excellence of Benanti wines attracted wine lovers from all over the world when the area was relatively unknown. I still remember the thrill of tasting his white wine Pietramarina made from 100-year-old Carricante vines. It was a must first encounter with the distinct taste profile that comes with wines made on the volcano. Giuseppe's sons Antonio and Salvino joined the winery in 2012. In October 2022 wine and fashion entrepreneur Renzo Rosso bought a 40% share of Benanti. Giuseppe Benanti is survived by his wife and sons. Published: Jun 30 2023
James Suckling: 92 Points
Aromas of green apples and lemon pith with fresh herbs and chalky mineral undertones. Juicy and crisp with a medium body steady acidity and refreshing citrusy finish. Lengthy and tense. Drink now.
Decanter: 91 Points
Etna pioneer Benanti has vineyards on every side of the volcano but its holding in Milo on the eastern slopes is particularly unique as this is the only area that qualifies for the rare Etna Superiore label. Contrada Rinazzo is a steep terraced vineyard at 800m above sea level on ancient lava flows. Light but well balanced this has a saline peachy quality with white flowers and touches of nuttiness. Lemon and lanolin complete the finish. (Drink between 2022-2032)
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