2024 I Custodi, Aedes, Etna Bianco

Salvo Foti is one of the architects of Etna's modern reputation — a consultant who has spent decades arguing that the volcano's ancient alberello vines and volcanic soils deserve the same serious attention as any grand cru in Europe. I Custodi is one of his most focused projects, and the Aedes is its purest expression of what the north slope can do.

The fruit is primarily Carricante with a portion of Catarratto, drawn from younger bush-trained vines in Contrada Moganazzi at 700 meters, rooted in sandy volcanic soils that drain freely and concentrate the vine's energy into small, mineral-driven fruit. No malolactic fermentation, six months in stainless steel, nothing added and nothing taken away. The north slope of Etna runs cooler and later than the rest of the mountain, and that extra hang time is everything here — saline, vertical, with a chiseled mineral precision that makes it one of the more compelling whites coming off the volcano. The 2024 vintage was dry, which pushed phenolic ripeness and added texture, but the altitude kept the acid structure intact. Drink it young or hold it — it handles both.