Eudes "Bianco di Monte" Etna Bianco 2019
"The vineyards of Vini Eudes command an enviable position on Etna’s eastern slopes: high above the thin strip of land that separates Sicily’s defining volcano from the Ionian Sea. Giovanni Messina and Laura Torrisi have staked their future on 3 hectares of native vines rooted in a once-abandoned property Giovanni grew up with. Sweeping stonewall terraces are banked into the sides of Monte Gorna, an offspring cone on Mother Etna, where the Eudes vineyards stand at 750-770 meters (2,460-2,525 feet) above sea level.
Located in Contrada Monte Gorna, the vineyard from which Bianco di Monte comes is very stony, rich in minerals, pumice skeleton, and trace elements, including iron, copper, and silica. A peculiar characteristic of the soil is its intensely dark color.
Once the grapes for Bianco di Monte arrive in the cellar, they are gently pressed, and the must fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. Post fermentation, Bianco di Monte is racked into stainless steel, a minimal dose of SO2 and temperature control block malo to give full expression to the mountain freshness of the wines. What follows is 15 months of elevage on the fine lees with simple batonnage. After light filtration, the wine is bottled and aged a further twelve months before release.