Santa Maria La Nave Millesulmare Sicilia Bianco Sicily 2017

The tiny one-hectare vineyard is situated on the north western slopes of Mount Etna, at an altitude of 1,100 metres - one of the highest vineyards in Europe. Following a 15 year massal selection of local plants, the Grecanico Dorato vines planted are from several ancient clones grafted on Richter 110 and Paulsen 1103 rootstocks. The climate provides warm, dry days during the summer, with significant diurnal temperature variation during the ripening period; during the summer the day time temperatures can reach 35°C and drop to just over 1°C at night, encouraging a gradual ripening process resulting in rich flavours, balancing acidity and aromatic complexity. The highly organic soil has significant residues of old lave flow, imparting marked minerality in the resulting wine. The vines are predominantly trained on the Guyot trellising system. The vines are farmed using organic methods and is in conversion to organic certification. Manually harvested.