Blog: Chardonnay | Planeta

Planeta Chardonnay has become a symbol of the transformation of Sicilian wine, which began with the desire to assert itself on the world stage with this noble grape variety. After a long process that began in 1985 and was full of surprises and successes, Planeta Chardonnay is now an icon for all of Sicily.

From the sea to the hills, up to an altitude of 400 meters, the Menfi area includes most of Planeta's vineyards. Planeta cultivates more than 250 hectares and carefully selects the grape varieties, both local and international, according to the particularities of each terroir.

"The vines in Ulmo and Maroccoli, from which this Chardonnay is made, are unique because of their location and terroir. Soil characteristics of Ulmo: The valley was originally crossed by a river that has now become Lake Arancio. The higher soils tend to be calcareous and chalky. The slope ensures perfect drainage. The soil of Maroccoli is moderately calcareous and has numerous clayey sections. There is an exceptional microclimate with breezes coming from the sea, which is only a few kilometers away.

This Chardonnay is our iconic wine, which we have been making since our very first vintage. It is a 100% Chardonnay, fermented and aged in 225-liter barrels from Burgundy. Behind this wine are two vineyards and two very special people. One vineyard is in Ulmo, 220 meters above sea level, on the side of Lake Arancio, and the other is in Maroccoli, just above Ulmo at more than 400 meters, in a beautiful plateau.

The people behind this wine are Carlo Corino and my uncle Diego. Until the 1980s, my uncle was looking for a winemaker, with a vision for the future. My uncle Diego learned the story of Carlo Corino, a man from Alba with a very solid Piedmontese winemaking background who had worked all over the world (first in Ethiopia and then in Australia). He had been in Australia in the 1980s, when Australia was probably at the forefront of winemaking. When Corino came to Sicily, I had just returned from my practical training in Burgundy, so we decided to make a barrel-fermented Chardonnay. From then on, I must say that it worked well. Since the first vintage we have produced a very recognizable Chardonnay, where the barrels are clearly visible, but in a perfectly balanced way. The scents of Sicilian Chardonnay are apricot, cedar, vanilla. The result is a very smooth but also very harmonious wine." - Alessio Planeta