Chardonnay (2020)

About this wine

Planeta Chardonnay 2020 is one of the bottles that helped prove Sicily could make serious Chardonnay, and it still feels like a signature white for the island. Grown around Menfi and Sambuca di Sicilia, it brings together sunny fruit with a fresher edge than many people expect from southern Italy. The nose opens with pineapple, yellow apple, lemon, and vanilla, then picks up a gentle almond note. On the palate, it feels broad and polished, with ripe pear, peach, citrus, and a light touch of buttered toast. There is plenty of flavor, but the wine stays lively, which keeps it from feeling heavy. It stands out because it takes an international grape and gives it a distinctly Sicilian accent, sunny, generous, and bright at the same time.

About the grape

Chardonnay is an international white grape that Planeta introduced to Menfi in the mid 1980s and has since become one of the estate icons for Sicily. For the 2020 bottling grapes come mainly from the Ulmo and higher Maroccoli sites, planted on soils of average texture and hill slopes at roughly 220 to over 400 meters above sea level, which give the variety a long ripening window. Vines are trained espalier with Guyot pruning and managed with modern viticulture to control yields and preserve freshness, and Planeta cultivates these parcels within a wider program of sustainable and organic practices. In the cellar this Chardonnay is worked with careful fermentation and maturation in French oak barriques to shape the grape's natural structure and to reflect the specific terroirs of Ulmo and Maroccoli.

Quick facts

• 🌅 Planeta’s Chardonnay began as a bold experiment in 1985 and over decades became one of the signature wines that helped transform Sicily’s modern wine reputation.
• 🏆 The 2020 Menfi Chardonnay attracted critical attention and earned top scores from respected reviewers, helping cement its status among Sicily’s elite whites.
• 🍾 Planeta releases this Chardonnay in several bottle formats, including half bottles and large-format magnums up to 3 liters, making it a favorite for special occasions and collectors.
• 🏷️ A special cuvée from the same lineage has appeared under the name Didacus, a nod to Planeta’s habit of creating distinct labels for reserve or single-vineyard expressions.
• 🔎 The product barcode 8020735000160 is widely used by retailers to identify the Planeta Chardonnay Sicilia Menfi 2020, which makes it a handy trivia detail for collectors hunting that exact vintage.

Palate profile

Producer

Planeta is a renowned Sicilian winery with a history spanning 17 generations, dating back to 1694 when the family acquired the Ulmo estate in Sambuca di Sicilia. In 1995, they established their first winery at Ulmo, marking the beginning of their modern winemaking journey. Over the years, Planeta expanded across Sicily, founding estates in Menfi, Vittoria, Noto, Etna, and Capo Milazzo, each dedicated to producing wines that reflect the unique terroirs of these regions. The family has been instrumental in revitalizing indigenous grape varieties and integrating sustainable practices, including the creation of the 'Invisible Winery' at Buonivini, designed to blend seamlessly with the landscape. Today, Planeta is celebrated for its commitment to quality, innovation, and environmental stewardship in the world of wine.