2018 Planeta 'Eruzione 1614' Carricante 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.

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. "Eruzione 1614" aptly captures the essence of our Cru dell’Etna Carricante, which includes a hint of Riesling. The volcanic soils of Etna are formed from the gradual breakdown of lava rock, abundant ash deposits from the crater, and organic matter. These black soils, rich in lava sands, are extraordinarily mineral-rich, surrounded by forests and more recent lava flows. The vines used to craft this wine thrive directly on the lava flow.

100% Carricante. 
See Critical Reviews for detailed tasting notes.

Slightly evolved and showing a deep sense of complexity and textural richness, the Planeta 2018 Sicilia Carricante Eruzione 1614 is yet another reason to love Etna's terrific Carricante grape. (There's also a 10% touch of Riesling in this edition of 62,000 bottles.) That extra time in bottle, tasted now three years after the harvest, produces dusty mineral definition and ashy volcanic tones. The wine is linear and precise with more austerity that raises the bar in terms of its food-pairing potential. A beautiful seafood platter with grilled prawns might do the trick. ~94 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate

Decidedly more savory than sweet and flinty as well, the 2018 Carricante Eruzione 1614 sends up a stunning bouquet of dried apricots, grilled orange and hints of white pepper. Its silky and pliant textures quickly gain a more tactile feel, as a mix of bright acids, saline-minerals, tart orchard fruits and sour citrus cascades across the palate. There are depths unseen here, as the 2018 displays a youthful density while remaining lifted, balanced and simply tempting the imagination as to what’s to come with further cellaring. A beautiful Etna Carricante with a 10% addition of Riesling that shows tremendous tension. Well done. ~93 Vinous Media

The bread crust is the first hint that opens the sensorial scenes and leads the way to notes of helichrysum flowers, jasmine and elderberry. Medium-full body, tense and vibrant, it rushes forward to set the lively progression that is loved in pure Carricante. Glowing from the center of the palate onwards. Wow!Better since September 2020. ~93 WinesCritic.com

Carricante is native to Sicily and is thought to have been cultivated there for over a thousand years. It’s a normally big part of the Etna Bianco DOC blends, but here it’s wisely separated out as a standalone bottling under the wider Sicilia DOC. It’s quite similar to Riesling in profile, with high natural acidity and apple and citrus aromas and flavors. This bottling is 90% Carricante, with a dose of Riesling making up the remainder of the blend. Grown at a high altitude in volcanic soils, its freshness is undeniable, and it delivers spot-on varietal fruit character wrapped around a stony mineral core. If you are a fan of aged Riesling you may want to add this to your cellar. Near term, it’s a fine friend to seafood or as a solo sipper that will keep the heat at bay. ~ 93 Rich Cook, Wine Review Online

Bright, rich straw yellow. Opens with fragrant notes of flint, fragrant bergamot, some peach, very appealing. Tight and clear on the palate, lots of juicy peach, really easy to bite into, fresh and very good tension, citrus fruits in the finish. ~92 Falstaff

Lemon-rind, pear and green-apple aromas follow through to a full body with a round, creamy palate of ripe and dried fruit that comes across mostly tropical. Creamy texture. Really tangy. Drink now. ~91 James Suckling

Racy acidity drives this lithe white, creating a lip-smacking frame for the expressive flavors of blood orange and white raspberry, slivered almond, petrol and grated ginger. Minerally finish. Drink now through 2026. 2,080 cases made, 105 cases imported. ~91 Wine Spectator

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