2016 Benanti Etna Rosso DOC 750 ml

Riding the train up Mount Etna had us on edge: With every shake and shudder of the old creaky car, we wondered if the ancient volcano was ready to blow again. But we knew we had to see the source of one of our all-time favorite reds, so we white-knuckled it up the craggy volcano, and dreamed of the first sip of wine we’d have once we made it.

We weren’t let down. That entire rocky trip was worth it as soon as we tasted the 2016 Benanti Etna Rosso, a mouthwatering wine bursting with strawberries, herbes de Provence, tobacco, and incense, all of it finishing on a deeply savory note. 

In other words, it’s the complete Etna package, and one of the best deals from Sicily we’ve ever offered.

Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate noted that “Benanti's winemaking history is synonymous with Etna winemaking history. In fact, the hard work and excellent wines produced at this historic winery are what catapulted this unknown part of Sicily to the enological forefront some 15 years ago. Benanti's wines are among the best made on the volcano today.” Through their diligent work in the vineyards and winery, the family has raised itself to the top echelon of not just Etna-based producers, but among the best in all of Sicily.

Benanti, located on the forbidding flanks of the famed volcano, is one of the island’s most exciting producers. And the 2016 Benanti Etna Rosso is a pure, shimmering distillation of all that sets Benanti apart, a wine that Wine Spectator called “a fine and harmonious red, with a bright tang of acidity and smoke-tinged minerality, offering a creamy mix of crushed cherry, pomegranate and grilled thyme flavors, expanding on the palate and firmed by supple tannins.” 

The 2016 Etna Rosso—crafted from 40-year-old, free-standing Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio vines planted in sandy, volcanic soils at 2,300 feet above sea level—represents a new height for Benanti. If you’re not familiar with these two great indigenous grapes of Sicily, you’re in for a treat: Think of Nerello Mascalese as the Pinot Noir or Nebbiolo of Etna, but with more spice. In that sense, every sip of this wine transmits the deeply energetic volcanic character of its origins, and will thrill fans of Burgundy, Barbaresco, and Beaujolais Cru. In this season of flame-grilled meats and hearty flavors, it’s absolutely perfect. 

This is a red of character and terroir, yet priced far below what wines of this quality typically cost, especially when they’re grown in such a forbidding landscape as Etna. It’s an easygoing red with complexity and depth. Buy this one by the case and enjoy it at your leisure: It promises to deliver pleasure for years to come.