Sicily, Italy
A blend of Malvasia delle Lipari and Carricante that spends 6 months on the lees. The aromatics are explosive and intense with grapefruit bursts, crisp pear, pomelo and a stony mineral note. On the palate, this is fresh and lively but the lees aging adds a gorgeous textural element and the Malvasia brings roundness and floral complexity. It finishes with a big wallop of acidity and Sicilian salt. Chill lightly to preserve the textural elegance of the wine and enjoy with grilled seafoods, oysters, Vietnamese fresh rolls or a simple plate of cured ham and medium-strong cheese.
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Tenuta di Castellaro’s breathtaking, sustainable winery is located on Lipari, the largest of Sicily’s volcanic Aeolian Islands. It was here, in 2005 — in this rocky, mineral rich soil — that Massimo Lentsch and Stefania Frattolillo, a couple of entrepreneurs from Bergamo, planted Castellaro’s first vineyards. The proximity to the sea creates a near constant wind, which helps prevent mildew and most fungus. It also cools the berries during the midday heat, occasionally lashing them with a fine slat spray, giving the finished wines their characteristic salty tang.
Grapes from the winery’s oldest vineyards are hand-harvested and hand-sorted. The Malvasia delle Lipari grapes are direct pressed into stainless steel for a temperature-controlled fermentation, while the Carricante is fermented in used, neutral barriques, where the juice gets regular batônnage, and sits on its lees for six months. Both elements are fermented using indigenous yeasts. After blending and aging, the wine spends six months in bottle before release.