Ciro Biondi 'Pianta' Etna Bianco 2019

Ciro’s ‘Pianta’ Etna Bianco comes from a single 2.5-hectare vineyard. Owned by the Biondi family since at least 1800, the name ‘Pianta’ means ‘to plant’ in Sicilian dialect. The vineyard lies on the side of a steep terraced crater, dating back thousands of years. The supporting dry-stone walls were built by Cirino Biondi, Ciro's grandfather. Like the ‘Outis’ Bianco, ‘Pianta’ is also a blend of mostly Carricante, with support from Minella, Malvasia, Catarrato, and Moscatello dell'Etna. 

The juice is fermented in oak and then aged in the oak rather than just aging in oak, a trick Ciro learned from a Burgundy producer because a byproduct of the fermentation in oak is it prevents the wine from picking up too much of the oak character. The oak fermentation and aging makes for a complex, pretty, heady white wine — an interesting wine to show CA Chardonnay drinkers who want to try something new.