Pietra Marina Etna Bianco Superiore Carricante

Salty, white grapefruity, Chablis lookalike.

This may have been moved too many times. Plus, I bought it from Premier Cru right before they went under.

The 2019 Etna Bianco Superiore Pietra Marina captivates. It’s perfumed and floral, with enriching notes of almond paste and confectionery spice that perfectly accentuate a smoky core of white peaches. There’s more lift on the palate, but it's a little backward, possessing wiry textures and an intense mineral core that adds depth to its citrus-inflected orchard fruits. Nervous acidity forces the mouth to water and maintains a dazzling freshness as inner florals resonate and a sour lime concentration settles in. The 2019 is just an infant today, compact yet complex, balanced and loaded with character. It will be a gorgeous Etna Bianco to follow over the next decade or more. (Eric Guido, Vinous, June 2024)

The 2018 Etna Bianco Superiore Pietra Marina captivates with a savory blend of crushed rocks, raw almonds and musky dried apricot. It's deeply textural with a saline tinge to its orchard fruits and brisk acidity that maintains energy throughout. The 2018 leaves a lemon and mineral twang through the long, lightly structured finale as hints of liquid stone linger. The PietraMarina is currently wrapped up tight with youthful poise, yet it should blossom beautifully in a few years. (Eric Guido, Vinous, September 2023)

The 2017 Etna Bianco Superiore Pietra Marina makes itself known with a beguiling bouquet that blends crushed oyster shells with rosemary, young apricot and hints of smoke. It’s deeply textural and elegant in feel, with ripe pit fruits that cascade across a core of zesty acids, as nuances of green citrus pinch at the cheeks. This leaves the palate buzzing with residual energy; fresh melon tones linger and are framed by a coating of salty minerality. While the 2017 shows a bit of extra ripeness from the warm vintage, it does so in such a seductive and balanced way. This is top-shelf Etna Bianco by every scope of the imagination. The Pietra Marina is an old-vines selection of Carricante from the Rinazzo Contrada on Etna’s eastern slope. It refines for 24 months on the lees in stainless steel vats prior to bottling. (Eric Guido, Vinous, June 2022)

Lemony. Saline, flinty stones, dried flowers. Savory.

smells like seashells, like i’m on the coast. lots of salinity. also funky- native yeast? 80 yr old vines. considered a Grand Cru level. sandy soil. fresh lemon, lime, super crisp. 2013 is considered a great vintage. aged 2 yrs in bottle. delicious. medium acid. fresh, crisp but soft.

I’m always impressed by Pietramarina and the 15 is no different!

Gorgeously mineral. Wet stone and parchment and wet wool and crushed nuts.

Bright and fresh with sizzling minerality and a jolt of acid. Lovely focus. Very good