2021 Planeta - Carricante Eruzione 1614 (750ml)

Planeta is one of Sicily's most influential wine families, beginning its modern venture in the mid-1980s when siblings Alessio, Francesca, and Santi Planeta, guided by their father Diego, set out to pair the island's remarkably varied soils with both indigenous and international grapes. The estate now spans six vineyard sites across five regions of Sicily, and Sciaranuova, on the slopes of Mount Etna, was Planeta's first venture into that terroir, planted since 2008.

Eruzione 1614 takes its name from Etna's longest recorded eruption, a ten-year event that stopped just at the edge of the Sciaranuova vineyard, leaving behind black, mineral-rich volcanic soil. This wine is nearly all Carricante with a small addition of Riesling, grown at high altitude between roughly 820 and 860 meters. The grapes are hand-selected, gently pressed, and fermented in stainless steel, then rest on their fine lees for several months, a process meant to build texture while preserving the vineyard's natural freshness.

The wine shows a pale golden color, with an expressive nose of ripe fruit and white flowers alongside citrus and orange blossom. On the palate it is bright and full-bodied, balancing softness with vivid acidity, flavors of lemon peel and green apple, and a long mineral finish. It pairs beautifully with seafood, grilled white meats, or pasta in a light cream sauce.