Vecchio Samperi NV

Vecchio Samperi was the first wine bottled by Marco de Bartoli. It is a homage to his lime-rich vineyard in Contrada Samperi, just outside Marsala. There, the Grillo for his Marsala grows on twelve hectares. The Grillo he uses here comes from 20 to 42 year-old vines in Albarello stock. The harvest is 20 hl/ha. The Grillo is fermented slowly at room temperature in open vats made of oak and walnut and then goes into a perpetuum, also called a solera in the sherry region. It is a compound of barrels in which the wine has been aging since 1980. Each year, 5 % are taken and 5 % are topped up. The alcohol is 16.69 %, the sugar 12.6 grams, the acidity 6.7 grams, the sulfur 8 mg/l and the pH 3.26.

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The Vecchio Samperi has a stunningly fine and balanced nose. It alternates between dried and fresh stone fruit, unripe walnuts, a hazelnut fruit tart and ripe citrus. Particularly appealing is the subtle sweetness that makes its way through the tart nut flavors.

On the palate, the Vecchio Samperi shows a great fullness on the one hand, on the other hand the acidity cuts a path through the thicket of aromas like with a machete. Here, too, the slightly dried fruit, a spectrum of nuts, a hint of baked dough with plenty of butter, seasoned with orange peel. Yes, the orange notes become more intense here than they were on the nose. They lead the wine into a striking finish of great length and density. If one wants to classify the Vecchio Samperi stylistically, the Sercial from the island of Madeira comes to mind, but perhaps also an Amontillado from Jerez. But then it would have to be of the excellent kind to be able to compete with the Vecchio Samperi.