The white grape at the heart of Etna Bianco. Grown high on volcanic slopes, it shows an incisive acidity unexpected in Sicily, alongside a flinty mineral character. Austere when young, after a few years honey and nut aromas emerge and it becomes remarkably complex.
The name is said to come from a Sicilian dialect word for "heavy-bearing". In the Milo district on Etna's eastern slope vineyards climb to nearly 900 metres, among the highest in Italy. Long consumed locally, it reached international markets alongside the wider rediscovery of Etna.
Southern Italian whites tend towards the generous; Carricante alone carries a different tension. I recommend it without hesitation to anyone who loves Chablis. Young and at three or four years old it drinks like two different wines, which makes a comparison worthwhile.