Carricante

Pale bright yellow. Citrus peel, botanical herbs and subtle minerality on the nose. Highly concentrated and deep; mineral-driven iodine notes intensify the brisk, herbal lemon and nectarine flavors. Finishes long with a bright lemony nuance. Steely and stony as wines made with Carricante ought to be, but with enough underlying pliancy and sweetness to avoid coming off as excessively strict. Much better and more reminiscent of Etna than the very ripe 2015 Etna Bianco.
Ian D'Agata - Vinous, October 2015   

Only very limited quantities of this inaugural, single vineyard (‘Contrada Arcuria’) white were produced, from 1.5ha of Carricante vines grown on the sooty black lava soils at between 600-660 metres on Monte Etna in NE Sicily. Being such a cool, breezy site Alberto harvests this crop late. The result is a wonderfully fine, brilliantly intense, profound yet airy, ethereal lemon pith and ‘cedro’ wine; one that capture’s Carricante’s noble, self-effacing character perfectly. Vinified in mostly cement and some old tonneaux. Fantastico Alberto! Drinking 2014 - 2022.
David Berry Green

The wine formerly known as Quota 600 now carries the name of its territory on the slopes of Europe’s most active volcano. The 100-percent Carricante wine is fabulous with bright, creamy, citrus fruit on the nose, slightly reminiscent of high-quality Chablis. The minerality of the volcanic soils comes through on the palate. Very much of its place, this is beautifully put together with those citrus notes showing themselves again. Great, crisp acidity and balance, this will drink from release, but will age and develop wonderfully, if you have the patience.

Since 2005, Sicilian Alberto Aiello Graci — aided by his sister Elena and mother Maria Adelaide — has been making refined and true Etna Rosso and Etna Bianco wines from 19 hectares of fruit grown on the still-trembling Mount Etna. More precisely, his black Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio, and white Catarratto and Carricante grapes are grown on two prime sites: Contrada Barbabecchi in the village of Solicchiata and Contrada Arcuria in Passopisciaro. The wines are traditionally made without temperature control, employing large oak and, where possible, wild yeast to bring out the full expression of the land.