2013 I Vigneri di Salvo Foti, Aurora, Carricante Vino Bianco, Mount Etna, Sicily, Italy.
Salvo Foti, the King of the Volcano, crafts natural and organic native wines from Sicily’s Mount Etna region and is regarded as one of Italy’s top winegrowers, and his new 2013 Carricante Aurora is living proof, this is a gorgeous white with elegance, style and amazing quality. The 2013 Foti Aurora is stunning with delicate details that remind of top Premier Cru white Burgundy and still shows the pure terroir of Etna with exotic spice, flinty mineral and a lovely pale yellow/gold color, with sexy white peach, tropical notes and kumquat as well as soft butterscotch, salty chalk and lemon marmalade. The main force is a refreshing citrus core, but the acidity is smooth and this refined white, only 11.5% alcohol, feels seductive on the palate with almost satiny texture. This is a light and lifting wine, but with vigor and complexity, the finish is lengthy and leaves lingering dried roses, mixed herb and a trace of honeycomb. This wine comes from steep slopes on lava/iron rich soils, it is surprisingly cool and the grapes develop plenty of character and acidity, and these Foti wines, both his fantastic Nerello Mascalese offerings and this wonderful Carricante are must have, bucket list wines! Drink the 2013 I Vigneri Salvo Foti Aurora over the next few years, best from 2015 to 2020, it is a sublime hand crafted wine that will transport you away to the beautiful and wild island of Sicily, true genius stuff!
($32 Est.) 94 Points, grapelive