Caravan Petrol Vino bianco Etna, Masseria del Pino 2020

Federica and Cesare left their life in Catania in 2005 (where she worked as an archery teacher and he as an airline pilot) in search of a simple, peaceful, hard-working lifestyle and purchased this tiny, unique 1.7ha clos planted with 120-140yo vines in the Contrada del Pino. Located on the slopes of Mount Etna at 800m, uphill from Randazzo, this is the highest altitude at which nerello mascalese and cappucio can reliably and consistently ripen. 

Viticulture here eschews herbicides, fungicides, pesticides but they don't follow any prescribed rules. The health of the vineyard is paramount. Winemaking is straight forward, grapes are currently destalked for the red and foot trodden in open vats (but from 2019 all their wines will be made from whole bunches), ageing takes place in old 500ltr barrels for 16 months and bottling is done with partial filtration (just the wine at the bottom of each barrel) and no added sulphur. 

Such a unique wine that combines power and gras with salty acids, moreish honeydew melon aromas and lengthy herbal aftertaste. We hear the local Eric Narioo (Vino di Anna) and his mate JF 'Fanfan' Ganevat are big fans...

Producer  Masseria del Pino

Origin Randazzo, Etna, Sicily, Italy

Grapes 55% Carricante, 20% Minella, 20% Catarratto (from 140yo vines)

Vintage 2020

Alcohol  12% ABV

Style Full body structured white

Bottle size 750ml

Winemaking  Manual harvest, whole bunch slowly pressed in two 500lts barrels for fermentation and ageing, one French Taransaud and one made by a local tonnelier from the farm's 100yo chestnut trees. Bottled in June the following year. Unfiltred, unfined, NO So2

Notes Natural, Organic