2018 Aeris Etna Bianco Superiore
Eric Guido, Vinous.com, June 2022
A enthralling mix of fennel, sage, raw almonds, crystalized ginger and crushed pears make the 2018 Eta Bianco Superiore impossible to ignore. This fills the palate with round, enveloping textures yet boasts a salty, savory core of minerality that shines like a beacon; notes of Granny Smith apple give way to hints of lanolin. But wait, there’s more…as a crunchy sensation is formed through the finale, a mix of structure and residual citrus-tinged acids, along with herbal underpinnings, linger on and on. Salvo Foti and the team at Rhys have done a fantastic job of creating a riveting wine in a difficult vintage. The Carricante for the Aris bianco hails from eighty-year-old vines near the town of Milo on Mount Etna, which is now considered one of the most prized locations for the variety. Lose this wine in the cellar for at least another year to let it settle down a bit. 93.
2017 Aeris Centenari Etna Rosso
Eric Guido, Vinous.com, May 2021
The 2017 Etna Rosso Centenari takes its time to fully blossom in the glass, but it’s well worth the wait for a rich and captivating display of crushed black raspberries, plums and licorice mixed with hints of mint and camphor. Here I’m finding depths of silky, elegant textures, and a polished display of blackberries and currant lifted by cooling herbal notes. The concentration of primary fruit is something to behold, but even more impressive is the perfect balance that’s maintained. Sweet tannins linger, yet as more of an accent than an obstruction, as this finishes long and lightly structured with dark inner florals. The 2017 is already pretty, but it will also benefit from a short stay in the cellar. 93.
Monica Larner, Robert Parker, Oct 2021
The Aeris 2017 Etna Rosso Centenari sees its fruit sourced from 100-year-old Nerello Mascalese vines from the estate’s Montelaguardia vineyard on the northern flank of the volcano. From a hot vintage, this wine is bursting with plush ripeness and dark fruit with plum, spice and tarry smoke. The advanced age of the vines and the sunny, dry vintage conditions have shaped a powerful (with a 14% alcohol content) and well-concentrated effort. The tannins are softly integrated and the wine shows beautiful balance. … this Etna Rosso steals the show. 94.