2019 Barone Di Villagrande Contrada Villagrande Etna Bianco Superiore

This wine was awarded the Highest Honor (3 Glasses Tre Bicchieri) by Gambero Rosso. Only a select few wines achieve this distinction each year!

Etna DOC is located between Catania and Messina on the eastern coast of Sicily, very close to an active volcano named Mount Etna, a World UNESCO Heritage site. The terroir is out of this world, it features an incredible combination of fine ash, hardened lava, and sand. This results in extremely unique wines, which are the most genuine interpretation of Sicilian culture. If you want to learn more about this wonderful wine region, click here.

Barone Villagrande is situated in the Contrada of Villagrande in Milo on the cooler eastern slopes of Etna. It has been in the Nicolosi family for over 300 years, who were instrumental in getting Etna established as DOC status. The Etna Bianco is floral with pear, white peach and lemon verbena aromas. The palate is saline and mineral, a nod to the volcanic soils of Mount Etna.

The vineyards where the grapes from this wine are from are part of a beautiful landscape very close to the volcanic Mount Etna. It's a beautiful area to visit. The owner of the Barone di Villagrande estate created within the property a very exclusive agriturismo, is a sort of hotel where you are in contact with nature and you can eat the typical cuisine of the region. The wine in the past was aged in chestnut barrels, instead of the usual oak. Now, to preserve freshness, stainless steel tanks are used and a little oak aging is added to give notes of vanilla to the wine. This wine has citrus notes such as lemon, lime and grapefruit and herbal notes such as sage and aniseed. The pronounced minerality completes a wonderful taste experience!