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SKU 846310
$384.00/case
$64.00/bottle
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This is a new wine made by Planeta in very limited numbers. The 2014 Sicilia Menfi Didacus is a pure expression of Chardonnay executed in a beautifully Burgundian style, complete with a sunny Sicilian twist. The wine shows precision and focus, yet it offers a generous array of stone fruit and floral aromas along the way. As the wine takes on more weight in the glass, it begins to reveal rounder and more opulent tones of Sicilian almond, candied fruit, orange peel, anise seed, and salty mineral tones that recall the soft sea breezes that wash gently over Menfi in the southern part of the island. This special edition (only 6,996 bottles were produced) is dedicated to Diego Planeta, the wise patriarch of this important wine family. As a young child, Didacus was his nickname. Four hectares of Chardonnay (clone R8) were originally planted in 1985 and the vineyard saw several replanting and regrafting efforts over the years. The oldest vines have been marked and fruit for this wine represents a section of the best cluster from the oldest vines. The wine is aged in a combination of old and new barrique (80% new and 20% one-year-old medium toast) from Nevers, Vosges and Allier. The wine’s generous Sicilian spirit reminds me of another iconic white: the Planeta 2001 Cometa (made with the Fiano grape).
Of all the white wine grape varietals, surely the one that has spread the furthest and is most widely appreciated is Chardonnay. This green-skinned grape is now grown all over the Old and New Worlds, from New Zealand to the Americas, from England to Chile, and is one of the first varietals people think of when considering white wine grapes. Perhaps this is because of its huge popularity, which reached a peak in the 1990s, thanks to new technologies combining with traditional methods to bring the very best features out of the Chardonnay grape and allow its unique qualities to shine through. Most fine Chardonnay wines use a process known as malolactic fermentation, wherein the malic acids in the grape juice are converted to lactic acids, allowing a creamier, buttery nature to come forward in the wine. No grape varietal is better suited to this process than Chardonnay, which manages to balance these silky, creamy notes with fresh white fruit flavors beautifully.
Country
Italy
There are few countries in the world with a viticultural history as long or as illustrious as that claimed by Italy. Grapes were first being grown and cultivated on Italian soil several thousand years ago by the Greeks and the Pheonicians, who named Italy 'Oenotria' – the land of wines – so impressed were they with the climate and the suitability of the soil for wine production. Of course, it was the rise of the Roman Empire which had the most lasting influence on wine production in Italy, and their influence can still be felt today, as much of the riches of the empire came about through their enthusiasm for producing wines and exporting it to neighbouring countries. Since those times, a vast amount of Italian land has remained primarily for vine cultivation, and thousands of wineries can be found throughout the entire length and breadth of this beautiful country, drenched in Mediterranean sunshine and benefiting from the excellent fertile soils found there. Italy remains very much a 'land of wines', and one could not imagine this country, its landscape and culture, without it.
Region
Sicily
The beautiful island of Sicily has been growing grapevines and producing wines for thousands of years, ever since the ancient Greeks first landed on its golden shores and noticed the island's true potential as a haven for quality grapes. Today, the island is one of Italy's primary wine regions, and even though over eighty percent of Sicily's grapevines are used for the production of sweet fortified wines, the remaining wineries making other wine styles are renowned around the world for their quality and character. Indeed, Sicilian wineries are famed for their ability to capture something of the sun-drenched region in their wines, and the vines they cultivate benefit enormously from the almost constant sunshine and the incredibly fertile volcanic soils which typify the island.
WA95pts
Wine Advocate
This is a new wine made by Planeta in very limited numbers. The 2014 Sicilia Menfi Didacus is a pure expression of Chardonnay executed in a beautifully Burgundian style, complete with a sunny Sicilian twist. The wine shows precision and focus, yet it offers a generous array of stone fruit and floral aromas along the way. As the wine takes on more weight in the glass, it begins to reveal rounder and more opulent tones of Sicilian almond, candied fruit, orange peel, anise seed, and salty mineral tones that recall the soft sea breezes that wash gently over Menfi in the southern part of the island. This special edition (only 6,996 bottles were produced) is dedicated to Diego Planeta, the wise patriarch of this important wine family. As a young child, Didacus was his nickname. Four hectares of Chardonnay (clone R8) were originally planted in 1985 and the vineyard saw several replanting and regrafting efforts over the years. The oldest vines have been marked and fruit for this wine represents a section of the best cluster from the oldest vines. The wine is aged in a combination of old and new barrique (80% new and 20% one-year-old medium toast) from Nevers, Vosges and Allier. The wine's generous Sicilian spirit reminds me of another iconic white: the Planeta 2001 Cometa (made with the Fiano grape).
JS93pts
James Suckling
A rich and layered chardonnay with nougat, cooked apple and pear character. Full body, flavorful and very intense. Lots going on here. Drink now.
WS90pts
Wine Spectator
A creamy, medium-bodied white, with a pleasing vibrancy framing rich notes of baked apple, lemon curd, pastry cream and oak spice. Well-cut and mouthwatering, showing pretty graphite and lime blossom accents on the elegant finish. Chardonnay. Drink now through 2024. 583 cases made, 50 cases imported.
Winery Notes
A pure expression of Chardonnay executed in a beautifully Burgundian style, complete with a sunny Sicilian twist. The wine shows precision and focus, yet it offers a generous array of stone fruit and floral aromas along the way. As the wine takes on more weight in the glass, it begins to reveal rounder and more opulent tones of Sicilian almond, candied fruit, orange peel, anise seed, and salty mineral tones that recall the soft sea breezes that wash gently over Menfi in the southern part of the island.
