Benanti, Etna Bianco Superiore DOC (Sicily, Italy) 2020

 Benanti was the first winery I visited during my first wine trip to Sicily ten years ago.  Guiseppe Benanti, whose ancestor was making wine in the 1800s, established the current winery in 1988.  As I reported in my 2013 column, Benanti hired Rocco di Stefano, an enologist from Asti, and researched soils, grape varieties, and winemaking techniques — all in a quest to make the best Etna wines.  His research convinced him that he should concentrate on indigenous varieties.  This 2020 Carricante is fresh and lively with ripe citrus, green apple, peach flavors juxtaposed with savory saline notes.  The Carricante grapes for Etna Bianco Superiore must be grown in the Milo commune on the east slope of Mt. Etna, which is where the Contrada Rinazzo is located.  A contrada is primarily an administrative subdivision whose definition varies depending on where it lies in Italy. In Sicily, it has both  geological and social constructs.