2023 'Nerina' Etna Bianco nyr
Girolamo Russo
Mt. Etna, Sicily

$34.99 on 6+ (code: 6saves2)
$36.99 

Nerina is 80% Carricante, 20% Catarratto, Inzolia, Grecanico, Minnella, and Coda di Volpe. The wine is sourced from the contradas of San Lorenzo, Feudo, and Calderara Sottana. The white is aged in a combination of steel (80%) and used oak barrels (20%). The wine is named “Nerina” after Giuseppe’s mother.

2022 rating for comparison:

93 pts Robert Parker Wine Advocate
Nerina is one of my favorite whites from Etna, especially when consumed young and fresh. The Girolamo Russo 2022 Etna Bianca Nerina is especially crisp and bright with a polished, glossy feel. Aromas of citrus, white peach and honey rise to the top. Honestly, I've never been able to hold onto a bottle long enough to trace its evolution.

My Tasting Note
Carricante can sometimes come across very lithe and hyper elegant, not this one. Maybe the best Carricante after Pietramarina by Benanti that I have tasted. Light lemon skin yellow. The nose is med+ bright, minerally with fresh citrus, citrus zest, salinity and stone. Gorgeous! The palate is med bodied, elegant in weight but intense in energy, med+ in flavor with the citrus juicy and fresh, mostly lemons, sweet ones like the huge sicilian kind and some lime. The minerality and salinity complexity is perfect, just adding complexity and linearity. Med+ finish. Hard not to finish the bottle before our main course arrived. Reminds me of great village or minor 1er Chablis.