Palmento Costanzo "Mofete" Etna DOC Bianco 2023

Visually, "Mofete" presents itself with a bright straw yellow color, which anticipates its freshness. On the nose, the wine offers an intense and aromatic bouquet with notes of white pulp fruit, citrus, wild flowers and a distinctive mineral accent reminiscent of flint and salt, testimony to its volcanic origin. In the mouth, the wine is lively and well-balanced, with a crisp acidity that supports a rich variety of fruity to mineral flavors, creating a harmonious and persistent palate. Finesse and elegance are the distinctive features of this wine, which closes with a clean and refreshing finish.

This wine shows that Palmento Costanzo, founded by the Costanzo family as recently as 2010, is already a leading producer on Etna. A seamless blend of 70% Carricante and 30% Catarratto, "Mofete" delivers good depth -- you can almost feel and taste the lava -- supported by a cutting edginess. "Mofete" is an exaltation of the Carricante vine, with the addition of Catarratto, two native Sicilian grapes which find an ideal terroir on the slopes of Mt. Etna to express complexity, minerality and freshness. This wine is a tribute to the uniqueness of the Etna volcano, not only for its impact on the landscape and agriculture, but also for its influence on the wines produced there.

The vinification of "Mofete" aims to preserve the freshness and aroma of the grapes, with controlled temperature fermentation in stainless steel tanks, followed by 10 months of aging on the yeasts to enrich the wine with further nuances without overloading the natural aromas.

Palmento Costanzo was established in 2011 by Sicilian couple Mimmo Costanzo and Valeria Agosta. A palmento is a traditional Sicilian winemaking structure, though most have been converted into storage facilities or restaurants. However, Palmento Costanzo is located on the north side of Mount Etna in the Mount Etna National Park and had remained untouched as a protected historical structure. After acquiring the palmento in 2010, Mimmo and Valeria set to renovating the building and the surrounding vineyards. The estate's vineyards are planted to Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio for the reds and Caricante and Catarratto for the whites, all in the mineral-rich, blackish brown soils of volcanic sands and rock. Some of the property's vines are pre-phylloxera with upwards of 120 years of age.

Palmento Costanzo is committed to producing wines that reflect the richness and variety of the Etna terroir, using sustainable agricultural practices and a respectful approach towards nature and the landscape. The vines are grown organically on a series of centuries-old terraces made of dry lava stones in the village of Passopisciaro and the municipality of Castiglione di Sicilia. "Mofete" derives its name from the geothermal phenomena associated with the volcanic activity of Etna, a reference to the strength and energy that characterize this territory.