VECCHIO SAMPERI "MARSALA THAT IS NOT MARSALA"

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THE REAL TRADITIONAL WAY OF MAKING MARSALA


In 1980, Marco de Bartoli named his first wine Vecchio Samperi in honour of the land of Contrada Samperi, in Marsala, Sicily, a perfect land to grow vines, arid and rich. This wine was his homage to the oldest and traditional form of marsala wine, without fortification (a technique introduced later to make Marsala as the influence of port, madeira and sherry made its way to Sicily). This original style is made using the the ancient perpetuum ageing method (similar to the Solera system), that is by adding some new, young wine to wines that are already being aged in barrels for many years. The result is a harmonious blend of different vintages, with a unique and inimitable taste.

PRODUCED BY:

Grape

100% Grillo
Region

Sicily
ABV

16.5%
Serve at

Room temperature or slightly chilled.

Acidity

7.02
Tasting notes

With a bright amber colour, the nose is a surprising bouquet of dried flowers, nuts, dried fruit, spice, caramel, and mandarin orange. On the palate, the texture is round and silky. Elegance and richness are balanced by piercing acidity. Nicely full-bodied and dense with flavours of roasted almond, custard, salted caramel, and dark chocolate, the wine presents a dry and clean finish.
Food pairing

Don’t wait until the end of the meal to serve Vecchio Samperi, you can drink it with aged cheeses, braised meats, bottarga (tuna roe) and oysters. Amazing as an aperitif.
Area of production

Contrada Samperi, Marsala (Trapani), Western Sicily. Limestone, sandy soil.

Production process

Manual harvest, clusters put in small cases, in the second half of September. Manual selection of the grapes, soft pressing, natural decanting, traditional fermentation operated by wild yeasts in oak and chestnut vats at room temperature. Fractional blending in oak and chestnut vats for an average of 15 years, with the addition of a younger wine every year, using the traditional perpetual method, similar to the Solera system.

Fun facts

While the modern marsala industry got away from this time-and-labor-intensive aging, Marco's priority was the restoration of it, along with the quality and reputation of the wines of Marsala wine overall. He named the wine for the Samperi contrada, the zone in Marsala where the family estate lies, thus tying the wine directly to its terroir, a completely absent concept in modern-day Marsala. Vecchio Samperi is emphatically not fortified, which is almost unheard of and which in fact disqualifies it from the Marsala DOC.
Awards

Wine Advocate 2014 - "Made in the Solera method, the non-vintage Vecchio Samperi Ventennale is aged on average for 20 years in traditional chestnut casks. This fortified dry wine opens to notes of pinenut and roasted chestnut shell with candied fruit, honey and dried apricot chips. The 17.5% alcohol is present, but also integrated within the greater fleshiness of the fruit. It evolves beautifully in the glass and promises to do the same in the cellar. Drink 2017-2045."

Collections: Main Page, Our Wines, Sicily, White Wines

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