You don't see much Chardonnay planted on Etna, but this estate has one hectare of vines in the Contrada Rampante on the north side of the volcano. The oak-aged 2017 C'Eragià Chardonnay (with 5,000 bottles made) is a glossy and polished wine with a crisp linearity. The volcanic notes are unmistakable and render a sharper and more erect wine in all the places where any oak aging might soften the wine. The inside tension and energy between those two contrasting themes (the wine's oak spice and its natural minerality) is very unique. This is a fascinating study of Chardonnay that is deeply complex in a most unassuming manner.

The oak-aged 2016 C'Eragià Chardonnay shows ripe fruit aromas followed by savory tones of smoked bacon, campfire ash, crushed flint and grilled herb. The wine unfolds slowly with attractive complexity. This is a mid-weight white with enough structure and fiber to pair with white meat or shellfish. Some 6,000 bottles were made.