Planeta Eruzione 1614 Carricante 2022

This cuvée comes from Planeta’s vineyards on the northern slope of Etna, in the Castiglione di Sicilia area. The Carricante vines are planted at altitude, in a volcanic landscape shaped by lava flows and by the temperature swings between day and night. The black, poor, stony soils, rich in sand and volcanic minerals, encourage slow ripening of the grapes. The name Eruzione 1614 refers to one of Etna’s great historic eruptions, whose deposits left a lasting mark on these high-altitude Sicilian lands.

The grapes are harvested by hand, then destemmed and gently pressed. The must ferments in temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks. The wine is then aged in steel before bottling.

This wine reveals notes of lemon, grapefruit and white peach, with hints of white flowers, broom and Mediterranean herbs. Its expression also evokes gunflint, volcanic ash and a fine saline touch, hallmarks of Carricante from Etna’s soils. The palate is straight, taut and savoury, with a delicately enveloping texture balanced by lively acidity. The long, fresh finish extends a mineral, slightly briny sensation.

Ah, Italy, what a beautiful hedonistic country, home of the Dolce Vita, but how hard it is to understand how its wine is organised! The key to understanding Italy's appellation system is to think of it as several small countries rather than a single uniform one, since each region has its own appellation system. Yet Italy can offer wine lovers a multitude of wines with varied and unique flavours and styles, as well as bottles full of surprise and creativity. Unfortunately it also produces a large quantity of soulless, characterless wines sold under their most useful and commercially renowned names: Pinot Grigio, Chianti, Valpolicella, Lambrusco, Prosecco and many others... But let us talk a little history: winegrowing in Italy goes back to the most distant antiquity and originated in Greece. The Etruscans are said to have introduced the vine, and Greek immigrants improved and changed the grape varieties, later calling the country "Oenotria": the land of wine. At the height of the Roman Empire, wine held an important place in daily life, and some regions already stood out for the excellence of their produce. The Romans also planted many vineyards across Europe, leaving an indelible mark of their conquests. Today Italy is the largest wine producer in the world, ahead of France. Italy is divided into three climatic zones. The northern mountains have a fairly harsh mountain climate. The plain in the "middle of the boot" has a continental climate with cold winters and hot, stormy summers. The "south of the boot" enjoys a Mediterranean climate with very hot, very dry summers, not forgetting the islands of Sicily and Sardinia. In short, Italy produces a great variety of wines thanks to its 200 different grape varieties, many of them native to its land. It is a country just as complex as its wines, and well worth exploring!