Benanti
Etna Rosato Nerello Mascalese
Etna, Catania, Sicily, Italy
This wine has a dusty rose color, darker than pink but lighter than red. The nose was a surprise, and not a particularly good one. There was hardly any fruit to speak of at all. The dominant aroma was a funky, barnyard sort of smell. On the palate there were flavors of cherry and Meyer lemon, with a savory overlay and a ton of salinity. If you can get past the first whiff, the taste is a treat. Mine paired very well with a spicy soppressata, some cheese, and an onion focaccia bread.
This wine has a dusty rose color, darker than pink but lighter than red. The nose was a surprise, and not a particularly good one. There was hardly any fruit to speak of at all. The dominant aroma was a funky, barnyard sort of smell. On the palate there were flavors of cherry and Meyer lemon, with a savory overlay and a ton of salinity. If you can get past the first whiff, the taste is a treat. Mine paired very well with a spicy soppressata, some cheese, and an onion focaccia bread.
Jun 19th, 2025
Quiet, bit gassy. Earth.
Quiet, bit gassy. Earth.
Jun 2nd, 2023
Bitter balance, hay, vermouth, savory.
Bitter balance, hay, vermouth, savory.
1 person found it helpfulOct 31st, 2018Pure expression of Mount Etna. Fresh cherries, wild fennel, Mediterranean scrub, and a strong mineral note from the volcanic soils on Mount Etna. Delicious.
Pure expression of Mount Etna. Fresh cherries, wild fennel, Mediterranean scrub, and a strong mineral note from the volcanic soils on Mount Etna. Delicious.
Aug 27th, 2024Anise and fresh leather on the nose. Chalky dry tannins on the front of the palate that lack any expression of fruit (!). If you’ve been following my reviews, you may have observed I enjoy minerally taste profiles, so, this doesn’t offend me in the least— but it is very surprising to taste it on the front  of the palate (because I didn’t think I had taste receptors for that sort of thing on the front of the tongue). To be doubly confusing the fruit appears briefly on the mid palate as candied cherries. But before it can become offensively saccharine, the fruit is quickly replaced by burnt umber dry notes—along with a cool minty substrate—that yield a very loooong finish.
I just realized that I sucked down half a bottle while trying to evaluate this wine. I initially gave it a 9.0 rating but I’m going up it to 9.2, because this wine is intriguing and it kept my interest.
Anise and fresh leather on the nose. Chalky dry tannins on the front of the palate that lack any expression of fruit (!). If you’ve been following my reviews, you may have observed I enjoy minerally taste profiles, so, this doesn’t offend me in the least— but it is very surprising to taste it on the front  of the palate (because I didn’t think I had taste receptors for that sort of thing on the front of the tongue). To be doubly confusing the fruit appears briefly on the mid palate as candied cherries. But before it can become offensively saccharine, the fruit is quickly replaced by burnt umber dry notes—along with a cool minty substrate—that yield a very loooong finish.
I just realized that I sucked down half a bottle while trying to evaluate this wine. I initially gave it a 9.0 rating but I’m going up it to 9.2, because this wine is intriguing and it kept my interest.
