2017 Alta Mora Etna Bianco

As the spring weather turns warmer, finding food-friendly whites becomes the name of the game of wine hunting. To me finding those white wines is as much as a challenge as discovering summer weight reds that can hit the mark as well.

The wines from Sicily’s Alto Mora are those type of wines, without question as their whites, reds, and roses are some of the best from the Mt. Etna area of the island.

Take the 2017 Alta Mora Etna Bianco. Here’s a white wine made from the Carricante grape that has the palate style of a fine White Burgundy, but shows a total lack of any oak as it’s vinified in stainless steel, much like the way Chablis is made in Burgundy.

It’s a wine that’s fresh from the first sip to the last, and which conveys fruit without sweetness. That is so apparent as the young vines of 15 years of age give off that lovely and charming freshness of youth in the glass.

The aromatics remind you of fresh pulled rosemary, thyme and sage, with hints of flinty wet stones and green apples. As you taste the wine, you get a lovely citrus flavor of limes and ripened lemons that move out of the way for a more green apple and white pear finish.

As Italian white wines go the 2017 Alta Mora Etna Bianco is a lovely wine that’s great with shellfish and light tomato-based pasta dishes and is one to seek out. 

And for all those reasons and more, it’s why the 2017 Alta Mora Etna Bianco is today’s WineSider’s Wine of The Day!!!