Rallo Azienda Agricola, Soleras 20yr Old Marsala, DOP Sicily, Italy

Producer Profile

The Vesco family make fragrant wines, organically grown in a certified organic agriculture.

They represent the best and most typical style of winemaking in western Sicily: crisp Catarratto and perfumed, fresh Nero d'Avola from their hillside vineyards. Cantine Rallo have vineyards in three sites in western Sicily: Alcamo for Catarratto and Nero d'Avola; Marsala for Grillo and Pantelleria for the Zibbibo that makes their delicious Passito di Pantelleria. Their grapes tend to be picked earlier in the year than many of their neighbours which produces their customary bright, fresh style of wine.

Viticulture

Rallo Azienda Agricola Soleras 20 year old Marsala comes from the Riserva dello Stagnone vineyards planted with trellis trained Grillo vines in 1980 on a South facing exposure around 50 metres above sea level. Soils are clay and sand.

Winemaking

Manually harvested at night into 15kg cases, the grapes are gently pressed then fermented at 16 to 18 degrees celcius in stainless steel for a period of 15 to 20 days then aged for 20 years in small oak casks within an overlapping 3 level Solera system.

Oak Ageing

Time: 20 Years
Type: Small French Oak Casks
% wine oaked: 100
% new oak: None

Tasting Note

A full dry, yet smooth and rich wine, on the nose this is intense, harmonious, delicate, with pleasant scent of apricot, honey, dried fruit and dates. Dry in the mouth, round with bitter almonds, smoked vanilla with long persistence

Food Matching

Pair with ripe creamy, blue and aged cheeses or the most delicious chocolate for a full on taste sensation.