Planeta Eruzione 1614 Carricante 2016
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Robert
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James
Suckling -
Wine
Enthusiast - Decanter
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
The history of Etna is studded with the historic eruptions which have shaped it. That of 1614 is legendary, lasting ten years and the longest ever recorded, halting just on the border of the vineyards of Sciaranuova. A name strongly evocative of our Cru dell’Etna; Carricante with a small addition of Riesling. High altitude black soils confer a fresh, savoury and mineral style.
An extraordinary companion for dishes based on fish of a certain oiliness and thus ideal for any gastronomic experience encountered by the sea.
Blend: 90% Carricante, 10% Riesling
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
he 2016 Sicilia Carricante Eruzione 1614 is comprised of 90% Carricante and 10% Riesling. This wine offers many exciting assets that distinguish it from its competition. First, that supporting presence of Riesling adds some of those benzine and resin-like aromas to the overall complexity of the bouquet. It is subtle, but the Riesling impact is well integrated within the broader texture of the wine. Second, the bouquet shows fruity tones of exotic fruit and perfumed honeydew melon, but it also offers drying mineral tones of brimstone and crushed seashell. This wine should continue to evolve over the next ten years.
Rating: 92+ -
James Suckling
The white pepper and sliced lemon character really comes through. Some thyme, too. Full body, plenty of fruit and a fresh and clean finish. Cool wine. Drink now.
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Wine Enthusiast
Made predominantly from Nerello Mascalese and a small percentage of Nerello Cappuccio, this wine offers alluring aromas of red berry, blue flower, crushed stone and wild herb. It’s elegantly structured and focused, evoking crushed raspberry, Marasca cherry, savory black pepper and graphite alongside taut, refined tannins and bright acidity. Drink through 2026.
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Decanter
Bright and fresh with aromatic stone fruits, lots of lovely citrus zippiness and a clean mineral character and length.
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Wine & Spirits
A legendary eruption on Mount Etna in 1614 sent lava flowing just short of the Sciaranuova vineyard, where the carricante vines that produce this wine are rooted in mineral-rich black sand. Fermented and aged in stainless steel, the wine shows some flinty reductive notes before opening up to reveal delicate lime-blossom scents, and flavors of crushed apple and tart lemon. Ten percent riesling boosts the fruity tones and buffers carricante’s stiff mineral spine.
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“It is a new way of thinking about the journey through Sicily; after Menfi, Vittoria, then Noto, then Etna, then Milazzo. Not a random route, but one strongly linked to the variety of countryside, to the winds, to the character of the people and thus of their wine…” –Diego Planeta
Planeta encompasses six distinct wine estates across Sicily, each one inspired and constructed in harmony with its surroundings and dedicated to its terroir.
For five centuries and seventeen generations, the Planeta family has been involved in the Sicilian agricultural sector. Their work on the island has contributed to the revitalization of Sicilian winemaking, now one of the most dynamic and sought-after viticultural regions in the world. Planeta’s journey begins at Sambuca di Sicilia, on the estate owned by the family since the 1600s. Here on Italy's most enchanting island, three enthusiastic young Sicilians, Alessio, Francesca and Santi Planeta, under the guidance of Diego Planeta, began their winemaking venture in the mid-1980s. Subsequent years were spent matching the extraordinarily diverse Sicilian soils with both indigenous and international varieties. Years of careful research paid off when the Planeta wines were met with immediate critical acclaim upon introduction in the U.S. in the late 1990s.
Planeta’s six boutique wineries include: Ulmo at Sambuca di Sicilia, Dispensa at Menfi, Dorilli at Vittoria, Buonivini at Noto, Sciara Nuova on Etna at Castiglione di Sicilia, and the newest addition, La Baronia at Capo Milazzo. Each vineyard site is carefully cultivated with grapes that best compliment the local terroir.
Santi, daughter of Diego Planeta, leads the international marketing and sales component of the wineries. Alessio, the head winemaker and viticulturist since 1996, has been instrumental in identifying the best grape varieties for the diverse Sicilian soils. Santi leads as head of sales for the European market and spearheads the marketing initiatives for the wineries. Alessio, Francesca and Santi Planeta established the company and their comprehensive winemaking approach, but the whole family is with them, rooted in Sicilian agriculture for generations. They are a family and a company of ambitious aims, following strict principles of quality, a rigorous respect for the environment and social responsibility.
Carricante has grown on the slopes of Sicily’s Mt. Etna for the last thousand years. It is the dominant grape in Etna Bianco DOC blends, with Catarratto as a possible minor blending partner. The best examples come from volcanic soils at higher altitudes where a large diurnal temperature shift allows slow and steady ripening and the development of Carricante’s naturally high acidity. Somm Secret—A vine variety capable of high yields if not tended to properly, Carricante gets its name from, carica, the Italian word for “load.”
A large, geographically and climatically diverse island, just off the toe of Italy, Sicily has long been recognized for its fortified Marsala wines. But it is also a wonderful source of diverse, high quality red and white wines. Steadily increasing in popularity over the past few decades, Italy’s fourth largest wine-producing region is finally receiving the accolades it deserves and shining in today's global market.
Though most think of the climate here as simply hot and dry, variations on this sun-drenched island range from cool Mediterranean along the coastlines to more extreme in its inland zones. Of particular note are the various microclimates of Europe's largest volcano, Mount Etna, where vineyards grow on drastically steep hillsides and varying aspects to the Ionian Sea. The more noteworthy red and white Sicilian wines that come from the volcanic soils of Mount Etna include Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio (reds) and Carricante (whites). All share a racy streak of minerality and, at their best, bear resemblance to their respective red and white Burgundies.
Nero d’Avola is the most widely planted red variety, and is great either as single varietal bottling or in blends with other indigenous varieties or even with international ones. For example, Nero d'Avola is blended with the lighter and floral, Frappato grape, to create the elegant, Cerasuolo di Vittoria, one of the more traditional and respected Sicilian wines of the island.
Grillo and Inzolia, the grapes of Marsala, are also used to produce aromatic, crisp dry Sicilian white. Pantelleria, a subtropical island belonging to the province of Sicily, specializes in Moscato di Pantelleria, made from the variety locally known as Zibibbo.