Situated roughly 45 km from Catania on the northeastern side of Sicily’s Mt. Etna in the comune of Linguaglossa, Giovanni Raiti’s up-and-coming project “Quantico” based at Contrada Lavinia is producing some of the area’s most compelling wines. This zone is agreed to be the locus of Mt. Etna’s quality wine production, noted for its volcanic soils, unique microclimate, and indigenous varietals that are scarcely cultivated elsewhere.
Quantico’s vineyards combine those of Raiti’s property in Linguaglossa (one that has been in his family since 1900 and comprising six hectares overall—including 1.5 hectares mostly planted to white varietals) in addition to four hectares in Solicchiata that belong to his dear friend and collaboratore Pietro Di Giovanni. Their average elevation on the volcano ranges between 600-800 meters, offering ideal growing conditions for native grapes Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccio, Carricante, Catarratto, and Grillo. Etna offers alpine-like winters combined with very dry, hot summers, making it one of most distinctive viticultural zones in Italy. Vines planted especially at higher elevations on the volcano are privy to important daily temperature variations that often contribute to more profound aromas in the wines. Giovanni realizes the fortune that he has with such incredible materia prima and therefore refuses all fertilizers and pesticides in the vineyards, remaining committed to the organic principles employed by generations of Raiti’s before him. In the cellar Giovanni and Pietro share an appreciation for clean, polished wines that respect the vintage profile and intrinsic character of their varietals by seeking to intervene as little as possible during winemaking.
Although the Quantico project (founded in 2009) is a relatively new development, it is one that adds resolute familial viticultural history to Mt. Etna’s rather recent eruption onto the global wine scene that has been largely dominated by non-Sicilian winemakers.
