Benanti Contrada "Monte Serra" Etna Rosso 2022
We have 5 in stock (Inventory is live and accurate)
Summer Shipping Advisory: Orders may be temporarily held during periods of extreme heat to ensure wine arrives in optimal condition.
View current shipping weather map →
The Land
Most of the Etna Rosso that crosses our counter grows on the volcano's north side, around Passopisciaro and Solicchiata. Monte Serra is the other Etna. The contrada sits in Viagrande on the southeastern flank, 450 meters above sea level, facing southeast toward the Ionian Sea and the city of Catania. That is lower and warmer than the northern crus. The soil is volcanic sand, mineral-rich and mildly acidic at pH 6.4, studded with old pumice stones the locals call ripiddu. Vines are trained as alberello at roughly 9,000 plants per hectare, and Benanti documents a range from 14-year-old plantings to vines past 100. Nerello Mascalese from Etna's south slope shows riper red fruit and softer edges than its northern cousin, which is the whole reason to taste this one.
The Wine
The Benanti Contrada Monte Serra Etna Rosso 2022 is 100 percent Nerello Mascalese, hand-picked, fully destemmed and fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel with a 21-day maceration. Fermentation runs on a yeast strain Benanti selected from its own Etna vineyards. The wine then spends 12 months in used French oak tonneaux, rests in steel, and sees about 10 months in bottle before release; alcohol is 14 percent. Destemming and used wood keep the tannin fine. Expect pale ruby with garnet at the rim, then a nose of red cherry, wild strawberry, dried rose and baking spice. The body is medium to full, the tannins firm but polished, and the finish runs long on red fruit and a smoky, stony edge. Benanti describes 2022 as one of the warmest years on record, but regular winter rain filled the soils and a clean flowering set full, well-formed bunches.
The People
The Benanti family has made wine since the late 1800s, but the modern winery dates to 1988, when Giuseppe Benanti, then running the family pharmaceutical company, decided Etna deserved serious study. He hired a young enologist named Salvo Foti, brought in academics from Piedmont and Burgundy, and mapped which contrade gave which wines, years before Etna became fashionable. Giuseppe handed the estate to his twin sons, Antonio and Salvino, in 2012. They work only with native grapes, Carricante, Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio, across vineyards on four of the volcano's slopes, and they farm organically. The Contrade line exists to show those slopes side by side, and Monte Serra is the family's home ground.
Food Pairing
Pour it slightly cool, around 60 to 64 degrees. Pasta alla Norma with fried eggplant, tomato and ricotta salata is the Catania classic, and the wine's acidity cuts the oil while its red fruit meets the tomato. Grilled lamb chops with rosemary and garlic work because the tannin grips the fat without overpowering the meat. Try sausage and broccoli rabe pizza from a wood oven, where smoke meets smoke. For something vegetarian, roast porcini over polenta with Parmigiano, an earthy match for the wine's stony finish. This is the bottle for a Tuesday dinner that deserves a little more attention than usual.
We ship wine to most states with a $100 minimum order for shipping. We don't ship spirits nor beer.
Weather shipping advisory: Orders placed during times of extreme heat or extreme cold will be held for no charge until more favorable weather returns.
Sicily, Italy’s largest island, blends ancient wine traditions with a fresh wave of modern creativity. Its star red grape, Nero d’Avola, thrives in the island’s warm, sun-soaked climate, producing intensely flavored wines with dark fruit and a hint of savory spice. Along the western coast lies the historic heartland of Marsala, a fortified wine prized for both sweet and dry styles. Rising above the island’s varied landscapes is Mount Etna, an active volcano whose mineral-rich soils and cooler elevations result in elegantly structured reds and nuanced whites. From coast to crater, Sicily’s wine culture is as diverse and vibrant as the region itself.
Italy - Sicily
Named for its pale color and hometown of Mascali, Nerello Mascalese is a rising star in the wine world. Indigenous to Mount Etna, it was overlooked for decades until recently the world has taken notice of the elegant yet powerfully minerally wines produced on the volcanic slopes. Think halfway between Pinot Noir and Nebbiolo.
