2010 Etna Bianco Superiore Pietra Marina
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Tasting notes
Gone through MLF. Brilliant, intense straw. Dusty with the beginning of waxy notes. Stony, lemon-peel nose with hints of dark earth. The palate is like a squeeze of lemon and then lots of mandarin and lemon fruit. Palate cleanser of enormous length. (WS)
Critic scores
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Walter Speller, jancisrobinson.com
Monica Larner, Wine Advocate
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The 2010 Etna Bianco Superiore Pietra Marina is one of the founding fathers behind Etna wine excellence. When I first tasted Pietra Marina more than a decade ago, I fell in love with wines from this stunning volcanic territory. Those super sharp and focused mineral notes are what initially sparked my adoration, as well as the surprising complexity of aromas. Flint and brimstone are wrapped around citrus and white peach. It ages sur lie for 24 months. Pietra Marina can safely age up to a decade. Drink 2014-2024. Benanti has led efforts to raise Etna to the winemaking heights it enjoys today. Back when the notion of Contrade (Etna subzones) was a hazily defined fledgling idea, the Benanti family was carefully experimenting with indigenous grapes planted at various altitudes and locations on the massive cone of the volcano. The modern success of Etna wine is unquestionably linked to the hard work and innovation underway at Benanti. Importers: Cream Wine Company, www.creamwine.com; Wine Warehouse, www.winewarehouse.com; Tavolo Vigneto, www.tavolovigneto.com; Tradizione Imports, www.tradizioneimports.com; Zancanella Importing Co., www.zancanellaimporting.com; www.Lyrawine.com
About the producer
Benanti is one of the founding fathers of modern-day wine in Sicily, with Giuseppe Benanti an early champion of wines made from the slopes of Mount Etna. Today the property is in the hands of Giuseppe’s children and remains one of the region’s leading names.