Tornatore Etna White

Tasting Note Tornatore Etna Bianco

Pleasant hints of grapefruit, pomelo, apples, pears, white peach, and herbs. On the palate and nose, a pleasant taste and freshness with extraordinary minerality derived from the volcanic terroir. Light straw yellow with intense green reflections.

Food Pairing

Tornatore Etna Bianco pairs well with spicy Asian dishes, grilled vegetables, risotto, sushi, tapas, and salads with grilled white fish.

Other information

The Tornatore wine estate was established by Francesco Tornatore, who earned his fortune in telecommunications. It was only in the 21st century that he created a magnificent wine estate in Castiglione di Sicilia. This is located on the north side of Mount Etna on volcanic soil.

However, Francesco's great-grandfather had already planted vineyards in 1865, so Tornatore can not only boast more than 150 years of experience, but there are also some old vineyards. Tornatore only wants to work with indigenous grape varieties, so Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio for red and Carricante for white, including a manual harvest.

Sicily is quite warm, but Tornatore's vineyards are located so high up, between 600 and 1,000 meters, that the wine achieves a striking freshness and elegance as a result. Nothing is left to chance in the cellar, either, to produce great wines.

Wine with respect for the terroir: the grapes are slowly pressed in a vertical press, and after fermentation in modern concrete vats, they mature for 3 months in large wooden casks. As a result, there is virtually no oak influence to be tasted in the wines. All in all, this yields very precise, elegant, fresh, and drinkable wines, which are also, by Etna standards, very pleasantly priced.

Etna Bianco from Tornatore is a masterpiece in its own right. The volcanic terroir of Etna in Sicily, the altitude at which the grapes are grown, the manual harvesting, and the low-temperature fermentation are all elements that contribute to a great wine.

Wine scores/Awards

This wine has received quite a few accolades in recent years.

Robert Parker: The Etna Bianco is excellent at capturing the bright and elegant side of the Carricante grape from Etna. The bouquet here shows citrus, lemon curd, and a touch of natural rubber that works wonders in terms of the wine's aromatic intensity. This is a very successful effort from a new producer and relatively young vines. Dried herbs, saffron, aniseed, and Sicilian wild fennel appear on the finish (89+ pts).

Gambero Rosso: The Etna Bianco 2016 is excellent, bursting with fruit on the nose, lively and structured on the palate. (2 glasses)

James Suckling: Lots of pears and apples as well as pomelo. Full, dense palate with zesty acidity and a fruity finish. (90 pts)

Wine Enthusiast: With a few swirls of the glass, the intoxicating stone fruit is released. A lively interplay of green apple, lemon, mandarin, and white peach aromas framed by fresh acidity. (93 pts)