Planeta farms a stretch of Sicily's southwestern coast between Menfi and Sambuca, where Chardonnay ripens slowly against the sea and the dry island wind. The Menfi DOC is one of the youngest appellations on the island, and among the few where international varieties are planted with real conviction.
- Chardonnay, the only grape in this bottle.
- Menfi DOC, southwestern Sicily.
- 2019 vintage, 13.5% ABV.
- Dry, medium body, medium acidity.
- Yellow apple, citrus zest, almond, vanilla.
How it is made
Sicily's southwest does two things at once for Chardonnay: strong sun builds ripeness, and the sea breeze keeps the nights cool enough to hold acidity. The Menfi DOC was carved out in 1995, one of a handful of Sicilian appellations written with international varieties in mind rather than the island's older native grapes.
How it tastes
Yellow apple and a bright lift of citrus zest come first, cut through by an almond note that reads more Sicilian than Burgundian. Vanilla sits underneath from the oak, soft rather than loud, and the acidity stays gentle, so the whole thing lands round and full in the mouth. Dry, medium in body, with the low tannin of a white wine.
Good to know
Menfi sits on the same stretch of coast that made Planeta's name in Sicilian wine, a few kilometres from the sea at Porto Palo. Chardonnay is not native here, but the appellation rules allow it, and the grape picks up a distinctly southern character: riper, softer, more almond than hazelnut.
Contains alcohol.
