2021 Palmento Costanzo Etna Bianco 'Mofete'

70% Carricante and 30% Cataratto, all organically and dry farmed from the single vineyard Contrada Santo Spirito in Passopisciaro. Hand harvested, soft pressed, and fermented with native yeasts in steel. Aged for four months in stainless steel.  12.0% alcohol. 

Tasting Notes

Light in body and color, with a nose of lemon, lime, yellow apple, pear, turf and crushed stone. There’s lots of lemon on the palate along with more fresh and cooked apples. Plenty of acid keeps it all feeling quite electric, and it finishes with classic  salty, rocky Etna minerality. 

About Palmento Costanzo

Located in Etna National Park, Palmento Costanzo is a natural glory to behold. With about 10 hectares of 30-120 year-old, bush-trained vineyards, it is situated on the steep, northern slopes of the volcano in Contrada Santo Spirito, close to Passopisciaro.  In these contrade, Palmento Costanzo cultivates about eighteen hectares of vineyards following the principles of organic agriculture with the greatest respect of regional grape growing tradition. Over one hundred terraces, with dry stone walls in lava stone guard the vineyards planted with sapling, which wind up the slopes of the volcano to 600 to 800 meters above sea level. The century old vines are supported by chestnut poles. The cultivated varieties are the native Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccio, Carricante and Catarratto.  Making wine high on the side of an active volcano may not be everyone’s calling, but it suits Mimmo Costanzo to a ‘T’. Alongside his wife, Valeria, he creates wines with incredible, big-boned structure, intense minerality, and finesse. Ever committed to the environment, Mimmo has also all but effaced the estate’s carbon footprint.