Of the soil: Gaia’s 10 to try from the slopes of Etna

1 Benanti, Pietra Marina, Etna Bianco Superiore 2017 96 £85 Astrum Wine Cellars

From the head-trained vines of Milo, the only area for which the Superiore designation can be used for Carricante wines. This is straw yellow with bright greenish reflections. Lovely refined aromas of orange blossom, thyme, hay, ripe apple and flint. It’s taut and vertical, with a savoury finish and remarkable persistence. Sharp, expressive purity. Drink 2022-2035 Alcohol 12.5%

Graci, Arcurìa, Etna Bianco 2019 95 £50 Bancroft, Berry Bros & Rudd

From the renowned area of Passopisciaro, this is a Carricante white of great character. Aged partially in concrete tank and partially in large oak barrel, it’s a brilliant straw-yellow colour with a rich bouquet of broom and aromatic herbs, white melon and grapefruit. In the mouth it’s juicy, supported by balanced acidity and saline notes. Long, tense and electric. Organic.

Drink 2022-2030 Alc 12%

2 Idda, Sicilia 2020 95

£33-£40 Harvey Nichols, Hatch Mansfield, Petersham Cellar

Gaja’s bet on the south-southwest side of Etna, in partnership with Graci, has been won, and the ‘prize’ is this pearl of finesse: a 100% Carricante white that evokes orange blossom, marzipan, graphite and flint. On the palate it displays body and agility with persistence and balance. Classy.

Drink 2022-2030 Alc 12.5%

Nicosia, Contrada Monte Gorna, Etna Bianco 2020 93 £22 Vinexus

Made from Carricante (90%) and Catarratto (10%) grown on the mineral-rich soils of the steep slopes of Monte Gorna, one of the dormant volcano cones surrounding the village of Trecastagni, this has a delicious bouquet of apple, grapefruit, hawthorn and camomile, with a nutty edge. Very fresh and mineral. Organic. Drink 2022-2030 Alc 13%

3 Graci, Etna Rosato 2020 93

£21-£22.49 Bancroft, Berry Bros & Rudd

The intriguing pale pink colour makes you think of Provence, but that first impression is deceiving because this is definitely pure Etna – the Nerello Mascalese variety, and you can feel it. The nose is all citrus juice seasoned with floral and mineral hints, while the palate is joyful but not frivolous. Rocky, sapid, pounding with acidity: it’s an enthralling wave of taste. Organic.

Drink 2022-2025 Alc 12.5%

4 Tenuta delle Terre Nere, Calderara Sottana, Etna Rosso 2019 97 £42-£61.67 Delivery Wine Co, Justerini & Brooks, Millésima

Sottana lies on an ancient lava flow and hosts centenarian vines. Spice and graphite mix with violet, berry fruits and garrigue. Long and dynamic in the mouth, with a splendid savoury note, a flinty, mineral undercurrent followed by lithe tannins. Captivating complexity, from Nerello Mascalese with just 2% Nerello Cappuccio. Organic. Drink 2022-2040 Alc 14.5%

5 Donnafugata, Contrada Marchesa, Etna Rosso 2018 95 £69.99 Liberty Wines

Located inside a natural amphitheatre surrounded by millenary sciare (lava flows) and bare of vegetation, this site experiences a notable temperature range. 100% Nerello Mascalese, a fragrance of sour red cherry and plum with herbal notes and sweet spice paves the way for a palate balanced between acidity and structure. A fine tannic texture gives persistence and pure elegance. Drink 2022-2035 Alc 13.5%

6 Giovanni Rosso, Etna Rosso 2017 94

£38 Berry Bros & Rudd, Bibendum Wine Piedmontese Davide Rosso captures the soul of Etna in this vibrant red, which is mostly Nerello Mascalese with small amounts of ‘other local varieties’. The aromatic nose is packed with Morello cherry and undergrowth, sweet spices, iron filings and wet stone. On the palate, the harmony between soft and silky tannins and the acid-alcoholic component stands out. Drink 2022-2035 Alc 13.%

Tenuta Tascante, Contrada Rampante, Etna Rosso 2017 94 £38.34-£45.95 Millésima, NY Wines,

Vinvm, Wine Direct

Tasca d’Almerita’s Etna estate produces this 100% Nerello Mascalese wine, which has a ruby-red colour with an orange rim. The nose combines red berry fruits and blood orange peel with mineral sensations against a delicately spicy and balsamic background, while the mouthfeel is juicy with a lively freshness, a distinct sapidity and nuances of graphite. Drink 2022-2035

Alc 13.5%

Torre Mora, Cauru, Etna Rosso 2020 92 £19 Tannico

Torre Mora belongs to historic Tuscan wine family Piccini. The name Cauru (‘hot’ in Sicilian), referring to the endless fire of the bubbling volcano, suits this red, made from Nerello Mascalese with 15% Nerello Cappuccio. On the nose it displays red fruits, flint, sweet spices and bay leaf. Tasty and savoury in the mouth, with fine tannins, this has an excellent quality-price ratio.

Drink 2022-2032 Alc 13.5% D