Etna Bianco Montalto Vigne Niche, Tenuta delle Terre Nere 2021

Dried flowers and smoky crushed stone give way to musky dried apricots as the youthfully coy 2021 Etna Bianco Le Vigne Niche Montalto grumbles up from the glass. Soft and enveloping, this is a textural thrill-ride, seemingly oily at times yet full of zesty tension, blending lemon oils and grapefruit with green apple and salty mineral tones. The 2021 finishes with outstanding length and mineral staining that lingers long as pretty inner florals and hints of tropical citrus slowly fade. The Montalto is sourced from vines on the southern slopes of Etna, between 900 to 975 meters in elevation, a location that the top producers often ignored until recently. That said, the 2021 from Terre Nere proves the worth of these vines. (Drink between 2023-2026)

Pretty nose of lemons, apricot stones, lime zest, almond cream and white lavender. Hints of white cocoa, too. Creamy, bright and textured, with a medium body and crisp acidity. Stonier at the end. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.