Tornatore Etna Bianco 2024

Tornatore farms vineyards on the northern side of Mount Etna in Sicily, on land first planted by the family in 1865 and rebuilt as an estate by Francesco Tornatore from 2010. This white comes from Carricante, the volcano's signature grape, grown at altitude between roughly 600 and 1000 metres where the vines escape Sicily's heat and ripen slowly. The high, volcanic setting gives a wide diurnal range, with warm days and cold nights that hold the grape's natural acidity, while soils of decomposed lava, sand and ash drain freely and lend a mineral character. Unlike the barrel-aged Pietrarizzo, this wine sees only about three months in concrete, a neutral vessel that keeps the fruit clean and adds no oak flavour, so the emphasis falls squarely on freshness and site. The concrete's breathable walls allow a slight softening without masking the wine's cut. It is pale and green-tinged in the glass, with lemon, green apple and white flowers over a faint smoky, flinty note. The palate is dry, bright and saline, finishing crisp and stony. Serve well chilled at 8 to 10 degrees as an aperitif or with food. It is a fine match for seafood and lighter dishes.