First of all, let’s start by clearing up some misconceptions; yes, Marsala is that infamous wine that you pour into a sabayon . Yes, the lion’s share of Marsala is industrial production, at best average in quality, cheap and sweet. Yes, there is Marsala that was bottled with banana or eggs. But also: yes, it is a wine that deserves your attention.
Marsala is an ancient appellation , literally, located in the western part of Sicily, an hour's drive from the capital Palermo. Marsala owes its name to the time of Arab rule and is a corruption of mars' el Allah, port of God . Speaking of God ; there was a time when Marsala, together with Madeira, Porto & Sherry, belonged to the Holy Trinity. But times change and our four (fortified) musketeers have had to lose a lot of their grandeur & status, unfortunately. You could argue about it, but despite the fact that the vinification method for, for example, Madeira is relatively similar to Marsala, it is in all probability Marsala that has suffered the most of the four wines.
Where did it go wrong, you ask yourself with a trembling voice? Gee, do you have a minute? Let's rather say that it was a veritable decades-long accumulation of bad choices, one after the other, ranging from short-term vision about quantity over quality to unnecessarily substantively enlarging the region and on top of that allowing the use of less qualitative grapes. Result? Well, see paragraph 1. A whopper of a trauma , that is the result.
As always I write in my own name ( all opinions stated are my own ) but for me, personally, there are a few rules of thumb to separate the wheat from the chaff in Marsala. The exclusive use of the Grillo grape, by the way native to the Marsala region, which naturally combines high acidity with a Mediterranean character with a salty undertone. As always, quality vineyards, planted in contradi right next to the Mediterranean Sea, in albarello ( bush vines ), with a limited density. Hands-off winemaking, including the avoidance of added yeasts. A winemaker who knows what he or she is doing. A long, stable maturation in quality wooden barrels, which should take place in baglios (read: warehouses) at a maximum of 200m from the sea. And then; patience. Years of patience. A bit like my lovely wife has with me. And then, finally; bottling the wine in visually elegant bottles, which embody the appearance of a centuries-old wine.
In itself this is not rocket science , but believe me, it is in Marsala. The notable producers in Marsala can be counted on one hand, and then you can even miss a finger or two. Remember Marco de Bartoli. Remember Nino Barraco. And; remember Florio ( He said it! He said it! ). Where the other two producers are (very) limited in production and possibilities and ( in my honest opinion ) drop a few stitches in the labelling and the storytelling aspect (no escape, also in the restaurants !), Florio makes the difference. Such a difference that even The Drinks Business , Decanter , Jancis Robinson and other famous wine guides are increasingly taking a closer look at Florio. As if it were a phoenix that rises again ( He said it! He said it! ).
Florio has no less than six million litres of Grillo (!) of old wines available in its four baglios, some of which date back to the 1940s. Does this mean that Florio produces en masse ? Well, no! That's just it: production is limited, only the very best barrels are selected and only bottled in limited quantities each year. And in the meantime, the wines continue to mature in botti (barrels) from the top bottaio Gamba . Is that enough for Florio? No, because they (rightly) pride themselves on the fact that these years of maturation can be further deepened by changing the barrels from time to time, when necessary. Sometimes a little closer to the sea (extra saltiness), sometimes a little further from the sea (riper fruit), sometimes a little higher and further from the sea to obtain more temperature (more oxidation, deeper profile), etc. A playground , so to speak.
What more can I tell you? So much more. About residual sugar, ranging from Vergine (as dry as my humor) to Semisecco (semi-sweet) to Dolce (sweet). And the insanely wide possibilities with regard to food pairing. Vergine with carpaccio of gamberi, or even an Asian-inspired spicy preparation! Semisecco with a cheese board! Dolce with chocolate! Or about our own exclusive bottling , a pretty awesome 7-year-old Vergine! But then I'll lose your attention. And I've been given a maximum word count by the insanely mega-super-über-lovely Crombé management ( no pun intended, XOXO ). And since I'm a good boy, I'll listen.
Marsala. Discover it for yourself, beat the hype. Because who doesn't love a good comeback story?
