INTERNATIONAL TREBICCHIERI: Il Musmeci Bianco 2012 vintage, “a finish with extraordinary flavorful energy and a sharpish close. A great wine”. By Giulia Sampognaro

_Il Musmeci 2012 vintage, Etna Bianco DOC Superiore. Cru of Carricante from Milo_​ INTERNATIONAL TREBICCHIERI, May 2014_ “Chicken Salad (Mediterranean version)” by Giulia Sampognaro

“This month we suggest a variation on chicken salad, one wi th a Mediterranean touch. The only cooked ingredient, which must be grilled, is chicken, to which we add cherry tomatoes (ours are from Pachino), celery (from Sperlonga), lettuce and cubes of toasted bread. Everything is salted, then drizzled wi th oliv e oil Lorenzo n° 5 Nocellara del Belice de-pitted Barbera and then blended with mayonnaise. The oil is why we decided to call it Mediterranean. This is a decidedly springtime version, both in its appearance and flavor. After having tried 20 different wines, we offer you our ratings, as we do every month. At the top of the pairing list we find fragrant wines that are not too structured and not aged in wood”. ​

“Il Musmeci Etna bianco Superiore 2012. Tenuta di Fessina_ This label has just come on the market, but has already won us over. It is from a century-old bush-trained vineyard of carricante grapes in Milo, a village on the south slope of Mount Etna. The nose starts slow on a slightly smoky note, then mulberry and citrus zest aromas appear. On the palate, it has rhythmic, mouth-filling development, a finish with extraordinary flavorful energy and a sharpish close. A great wine. Pairing: 8½_ Not a particularly structured wine, and perhaps that is why it pairs well with the salad. Very pleasant notes of orange blossoms emerge from the pairing, which is both balanced and mouth-filling”.