2018 Planeta 'Eruzione 1614' Nerello Mascalese Sicilia

"Tasting through the Planeta portfolio is like a master class in Sicilian wine. What’s even more impressive to me is the level of quality and value that Planeta, as large as they are, continue to deliver. The fact is that a consumer can lose themselves in this portfolio, and it would be a highly pleasurable experience tasting their way back out." ~Vinous Media

Planeta is one of the most iconic, and well known producers in Sicily. Fun fact? The winery was even featured in the critically acclaimed TV Show The White Lotus.

Alessio Planeta, head of Planeta, has been named "Winemaker of the Year" worldwide by the prestigious Wine Enthusiast magazine through their "Wine Star Awards" in 2023. 

The family history of this Sicilian Estate goes back for more than 5 centuries, where in such a closed and traditional culture, the Planeta family is not afraid to innovate and modernize.Diego Planeta along with other top-notch wine consultants from Italy like Giacomo Tachis, Carlo Corino, Giampaolo Fabris, and Attilio Scienza,have managed to position Planeta as the reference point in Sicilian and Italian winemaking.Discover what makes Planeta one of Sicily's leading producers!

Their vineyards are distributed throughout 5 different regions around Sicily:Menfi, Etna, Vittoria, Noto, and Capo Milazzo, resulting in an incredibly interesting wine portfolio: Different soils, different climates, different grapes, different (and incredible) wines! And if that wasn't enough,the family also owns a hotel and a restaurant in Menfi and Palermo.

For Planeta, sustainability is of the utmost importance, winemaking practices and viticulture are done in accordance with the environment and society. Baronia is considered a symbol of the sustainable viticulture of Planeta’s Winery.

The history of Etna is marked by significant eruptions that have shaped its landscape. Among them, the eruption of 1614, which lasted ten years and stands as the longest ever recorded, ceased just at the edge of the vineyards of Sciaranuova.

100% Nerello Mascalese. The sweetness and generosity of wild fruits and currants merges with aromas of incense and beeswax and a light almost salty touch invites one to return to one’s glass. This 100% Nerello Mascalese from lava sands presents its tasting strength and extraordinary aromas of incense and herbs, hibiscus and wild fennel. A luminous and lyrical wine which recounts without obstacles the character and refinement of great red mountain wines but at latitudes not far from Africa. The tannins of compact texture are extracted with elegance.

In this edition of 14,000 bottles, the 2018 Sicilia Nerello Mascalese Eruzione 1614 is a beautifully elegant and streamlined wine that reflects the precision and careful winemaking that is a hallmark of the Planeta family.This wine opens to fine and nuanced aromas of wild berry, cassis and rose. Etched mineral notes and light spice frame a core of pretty fruit. This is a classic Etna red that can be stretched out to a 10-year drinking window if desired, although there's no reason not to enjoy this bottle straight out of the gate.~93 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate

Delicately fragrant and poised, this focused red offers enticing scents suggesting wild rose, red berries, wet stone and a whiff of flinty mineral. Hailing from extremely high-altitude vineyards, the linear, ethereal palate features tart sour cherry, pomegranate, white pepper and saline alongside racy acidity. Lithe tannins lend polished support. ~92 Wine Enthusiast

As if you can smell the ashen volcanic soils that these vines grow in, the 2018 Nerello Mascalese Eruzione 1614 wafts up smoky and musky, with a complement of cherry and dried strawberry that fully completes the experience. This is soft and fleshy in feel, boasting a noticeable inner sweetness nicely balanced by brisk acids and pretty inner florals. The 2018 lacks the persistence and structure to promote long-term cellaring, but makes up for it with sheer drink ability. ~90 Vinous Media

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