Gaja Idda Bianco 2024

100% Carricante. Post picking a small parcel is left overnight on skins before pressing. 80% fermented in tank, 20% in barrel of which is a combination of 1000 ltr seasoned French oak and 5000ltr Austrian Stockinger barrels. Part of the wine goes through malolactic. The total elevage is 8 months. Each plot is aged for 6 months separately, then blended and bottled 2 months later. 

There is no question the Gaja family have never been ones to swim with the current, not simply to be seen as modernisers or to stand out from the crowd but to challenge the established norms in anattempt to produce the best wine possible.In a region synonymous for quality red wine production originating from the Northern slopes of Mont Etna (Nerello Mascalese), Gaja decided to purchase both an existing vineyard and plant a new separate site on the less publicised southern slopes.

All of these new plantings are Carricante, a white variety. 80% of currently plantings on Etna are Nerello, so the fact that most of IDDA production will be white made from Carricante and from south facing slopes is very unorthodox. But so was planting Chardonnay in Barbaresco classified sites… So why is it not classified Etna Bianco DOP? The first vineyard Gaja purchased is in Biancavilla and lies within in the Etna DOP boundaries and does have some old vine Carricante planted. However the second vineyard in Belpasso (where the IDDA winery has been built) is exclusively planted with Carricante but sits just outside the border of the Etna DOP. IDDA Bianco is a blend of these two vineyards. Gaja always had the plan to plant here so the wine has been labelled Bianca Sicilia since inception. "A fresh, peppery style with a spicy, citrusy nose and core aromas of stone fruit. Medium-bodied. More focused on the rich palate than on the aromatic profile. Enjoyable texture and length. Drink now." - 92 pts - James Suckling