WTN: Murgo Etna Bianco 2007

Sicilia
Emanuele Scammacca Del Murgo

A 70-30 blend of Caricante and Catarratto.

Light yellow in the glass.

Spicy, floral, lightly honeyed, vanilla nose.

Light to medium weight, zesty, juicy grapefruit and lemon, floral (my wife suggested chamomile), good acidity, a light bitter streak, vanilla, quite fresh and refreshing.

Lemon and peppery on the fairly long, mouthwatering finish.

One of the more interesting wines I have had in a while. Very tasy.

Purchased at $14.95 (Canadian).

Both red and white Etna came as a revelation to me when I tasted the range from Terre Nere last autumn.

Bruce, I tried a six year old Gulfi Carricante wine from Sicily a few years ago that had developed a petrol Riesling like element as it aged.
I thought it was very good wine, with prominent acidity and minerals for something made from grapes grown so far south.

I don't know why, but well priced wines from Sicily are often featured in Ontario. I look out for them since, as I have already stated, they are well priced, and also because they are usually made from grapes I am not familiar with so they offer an interesting (sometimes good, sometimes bad) wine drinking experience.

Bruce, I tried a six year old Gulfi Carricante wine from Sicily a few years ago that had developed a petrol Riesling like element as it aged.
I thought it was very good wine, with prominent acidity and minerals for something made from grapes grown so far south.

I've had ten-year-old Carricante from Etna that was fresh as a daisy. The grape has excellent acidity, and some of the growing areas around Etna are very high in altitude, which helps to preserve acidity.