Evening Masterclasses are a staple of the ViniMilo experience; and the 2025 edition was no exception. One such Masterclass, held on September 10th at the Iuppa Resort and titled L’identità bianchista dell’Etna (The identity of the whites of Etna), explored non-sequential vintages of Etna Bianco Superiores from leading producers Barone di Villagrande, Maugeri, Benanti, Iuppa, Rachele, and Terre di Nuna. I report on this tasting in a series of posts beginning with this one.
I have written about a number of these producers in the past. In those cases I will simply compare and contrast the two vintages using growing season notes provided by Brandon Tokash and tasting notes that I captured on the night of the event. In the cases where I have not previously reported on the producer, I will rectify that shortcoming before delving into the comparison.
The first wines tasted were the 2024 and 2021 (in that order) Etna Bianco Superiores from Barone di Villagrande. The 2024 was labeled Etna Bianco Superiore while the 2021 was labeled Etna Bianco Superiore Contrada Villagrande. The Etna Bianco Superiore was fermented in steel and bottled 12 months after harvest. The Contrada Villagrande was fermented and aged in 500 L oak barrels for one year and then spent another year in bottle before release on the market. I have previously written about the producer and that reportage can be found here.
The growing season notes from Brandon are as follows:
2024 — Spring and summer were dry and townsfolk were wondering what was going on. A very hot, dry summer led to some concern for the grapes. A late July 3 weekend rain saved it all, providing enough moisture for the plants to get through until late August and September when they received additional water. In the end it turned out to be a very good vintage for Etna Bianco Superiore.2021 — Another dry spring and summer with typical Milo rains a few weeks before and during harvest. If I remember, the 2021’s that we tasted was the vintage that we thought was better than the others. If that’s the case, the vintage was excellent.
The 2024 Barone di Villagrande Etna Bianco Superiore showed sweet white fruit, sage, thyme, minerality, and salinity on the nose. An explosion of acidity on the palate, along with dried limeskin and spice. Overall, the flavors on the palate are consistent with the aromas of the nose. A hint of spice on the finish and some heat on the chest. A quality wine.
The nose on the 2021 showed more maturity and development as compared to the 2024; unsurprisingly. Minerality and dried and green herbs. Softer, more muted notes on the palate vis a vis the 2024. Elegant and smooth. Bitter sapidity. Mineral persistence. Excites the salivary glands.
Both wines were sourced from good growing seasons and both exhibited excellent quality. Fermentation and aging regimes differed between the two wines and this, plus the age, is reflected in the differential characteristics.
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