by Gary Faust
Last month, Salvino Benanti visited Hi-Time to share his wines and talk about his passion for the wines of Mount Etna. The Benanti family has been growing grapes and caring for some of the island's oldest vines since the late 1890s. They sold their grapes for decades until Salvino’s father, Giuseppe, decided to indulge his passion and began making wine in 1988. At the time, most of the wine produced in Sicily was sold in bulk and was not of very high quality. Mr. Benanti believed in the potential of the region and knew the combination of minerality and climate from Mount Etna made the wines capable of greatness. He risked his own money, focused on indigenous grapes from the island and strove to increase the quality of wines produced there. He believed he could make high quality, ageable, food-friendly wines, which could compete favorably with other wines of the world. Over the years, his vision has come to fruition. The white and red wines made by Benanti display a combination of character and elegance. In time, others from Etna have followed Giuseppe’s lead and established the reputation of Etna as one capable of producing excellent wines.
After Giuseppe passed, Salvino and his brother Antonio carried on, maintaining the traditional style while also instilling a more disciplined approach to ensure consistency. Salvino sees himself as an ambassador for Benanti, but also of Etna- so convinced is he of the quality.
Sicily is a land of extremes, with snow visible on the Mount Etna for 8-9 months out of the year while the sun shines on the coast near the azure waters. The slopes of Etna provide ideal conditions for grape growing. The days are sunny and warm and the nights are cool, creating diurnal temperature swings, which enable grapes to ripen slowly and retain aromatics and acidity.
Over the years, the Benanti family has acquired several plots of land within the Etna DOC. Some of these parcels include old ungrafted vines, which have survived the scourge of phylloxera. The island’s unique volcanic soil and dryness have protected these vines and Etna can boast some of Europe's oldest vines. These old vines have very low yields with excellent concentration of flavors. The oldest vineyard sits at the top of a hill overlooking the winery and contains vines which are more than 100 years old. These Carricante and Nerello Mascalese vines sit at about 450 meters of altitude on the southeast slopes of the volcano. This exposure means they tend to be warmer than the rest of Etna, leading Benanti to generally be the first to harvest grapes on the mountain each year. Most of the winery's vines are head-trained.
The grapes are fermented with native yeasts in steel tanks (for the whites) or large old oak vats (for the reds), then transferred to old oak barrels of varying sizes for aging. Benanti uses mostly two- and three-year-old French oak barrels. Despite the winery's small size, they are among the best known of Etna's producers thanks to being some of the earliest pioneers in Etna's relatively short modern history of wine production. The fact that they make great wine might also have something to do with it. Benanti was awarded Winery of the Year by leading Italian Wine Guide Gambero Rosso in 2007 and by Wine & Spirits Magazine in 2012. We tasted through several wines with Salvino and found the Benanti wines to be delicious. The 2004 Serra della Contessa is definitely in a sweet spot in its perfect stage of evolution.
BENANTI 2004 SERRA DELLA CONTESSA $49.95 #301470
We are spellbound by the complexity of this perfectly aged wine from the historic Benanti family estate. This cuvee is composed primarily of Nerello Mascalese with a small amount of Nerello Cappuccio. Think of a hypothetical cross of Burgundian Pinot Noir and Nebbiolo, which is vibrant and fresh at 11 years of age. As Salvino says, “These are elegant wines for elegant food and elegant people.” We agree wholeheartedly and know our customers will enjoy this tremendous food wine, which pairs exceptionally well with lamb, pork dishes, sausage or even pizza! ROBERT PARKER 93 POINTS - "Benanti's 2004 Serra della Contessa is a showstopper. This blend of 80% Nerello Mascalese and 20% Nerello Cappuccio is made from 100-year old vines, many of which date to pre-phylloxera times. The wine is fermented in oak vats, then racked into French oak barrels for aging. It reveals notable intensity and purity in its expressive layers of ripe fruit, leather, minerals, menthol, licorice and smoke. Supple, finessed tannins frame the gorgeous finish. Today the wine is quite primary but in time it will likely develop into an ethereal beauty. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2016."
BENANTI 2010 PIETRAMARINA BIANCO SUPERIORE $46.98 #301366Benanti allows PIETRAMARINA BIANCO SUPERIORE to rest on the lees after fermentation, imparting more complexity and fuller body. In a word, this wine was amazing, complex and capable of aging. This is an Italian white wine for lovers of white burgundy.
WINE ENTHUSIAST 95 POINTS - "This stunning, full-bodied wine is in the running as one of the best white wines in Italy. It’s perfumed with acacia flower, Spanish broom, beeswax, flint and tree fruit. The delicious palate delivers green apple, Anjou pear and mineral sensations of mesmerizing depth. It will develop even more complexity over time. Drink through 2025”
BENANTI 2010 ROVITTELLO ETNA ROSSO $39.98 #301373
WINE ADVOCATE 92 POINTS- “The 2010 Etna Rosso Rovittello is 80-20 -Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio from the Contrada Rovittello on the north face of the volcano at 700 meters above sea level. Rovittello is a gorgeous wine with a long aging future ahead. There’s a degree of richness and plumpness that is rare to find in the generally austere red wines from Etna. Black cherry and black currants are backed by light touches of cinnamon and clove (it ages up to 12 months in used oak). Drink 2015-2026.”
