94pts James Suckling

A well-made Etna, very fresh and vivid with orange-peel and strawberry character. Medium-bodied, it has fine, vertical tannins and a lightly chewy finish. Nicely structured. Drink now or hold.

93pts Jeb Dunnuck

Another exceptional wine in the range from Benanti, the 2022 Etna Rosso Contrada Dafara Galluzzo is packed with clarity and spice, as well as wild Mediterranean herbs, fresh rosemary, ripe cherries, and gamey earth. Medium-bodied, but with a bit more depth, it features ripe tannins and sanguine undertones, lending richness to the wine and a hint of warming spice. Crushed flowers and anise emerge with some time in the glass. 

93pts Vinous

A darker and deeper shade of red, the 2022 Etna Rosso Contrada Dafara Galluzzo smolders up with an inviting bouquet of dried roses, ash, red currants and orange zest. This is silky-smooth, elegant and refined, with a soothing wave of ripe red and blue fruits energized by a core of zesty acidity. It leaves a crunchy tart-cranberry concentration to linger, finishing firm as a coating of fine-grained tannins resonates. Patience will be required yet also rewarded—the Dafara Galluzzo has an underlying power and complexity that only time will unfurl.

92pts Wine Spectator

A tightly meshed version, offering a core of chalky tannins enmeshed with chopped cherry and wild strawberry fruit, aromatic lavender, thyme and woodsy spices. This is focused and gives the sense of broad shoulders without being weighty. Tar-tinged finish. Best from 2026 through 2036.

Winemaker Notes

The wine color is pale ruby red. The scent is ethereal, spicy, with scents of red fruit. The taste and body is dry, medium-to-full bodied, reasonably tannic, balanced and persistent.