Long before its production was industrialized and its wines mostly banished to kitchens around the world, Marsala ranked right alongside Sherry, Madeira, and Port as a fortified wine producer of renown. Named for a port town on the west coast of Sicily (its name derived from Arabic for “port of God”), Marsala is no longer what it once was, although there are a few holdouts making authentic, artisanal wines in this historic place. Topping that list for as long as anyone can remember is Marco De Bartoli. The nectars produced by the De Bartoli family, many of which are aged in soleras like those found in Jéréz (Sherry) and Madeira, are reference-point wines for anyone who appreciates the myriad complexities and incredible longevity of the world’s greatest fortified wines.
Today’s Marsala Superiore Oro, a 2016, is one of the “younger” styles in the De Bartoli portfolio, aged four years in barrels that are regularly “topped up” to prevent oxidation; it’s an off-dry style, a fascinating tangle of citrusy, salty flavors reminiscent of lightly sweet styles of Sherry, and by no means should it be reserved solely for the dessert course. As for cooking with it, perish the thought! Whether sipped alongside a selection of salty cheeses and nuts or paired with buttery, sweet-leaning pasta preparations, this is a dazzling, thought-provoking wine experience that should not be missed. For what it’s worth, it’ll keep well for months after being opened, but I don’t see this lasting past Day One—it’s just too good.
It is also, like most Sherry, a difficult wine to describe concisely, but I’ll do my best: It is composed entirely of Grillo, one of the native grapes of the region, which is fermented in stainless steel like a “regular” white wine. It is then fortified and sweetened with mistella, a mixture of grape brandy and unfermented Grillo must, which brings the alcohol content to 18% and the residual sugar level to 88 grams/liter. The magic of the wine is in its laser-like acidity—it may be technically “sweet” but it doesn’t play like a viscous, nectar-y “dessert” wine at all. If anything, the sweetness is an afterthought. An accent note.
Although De Bartoli’s most famous wine, the solera-aged “Vecchio Samperi,” does not carry the “Marsala” DOC designation, this wine, named “Vigna La Miccia” for its source vineyard, does. It was aged in French oak barrels for four years before bottling, and during that period the barrels were regularly “topped up” with wine from the same vintage to prevent it from oxidizing. It has a golden (“oro”) color and only faint traces of oxidative notes like hazelnut, golden raisin, and caramel. It’s like a basket of fresh-cut Sicilian citrus, balanced by a refreshing blast of sea spray and dried wildflowers.
Serve this wine as you might an Amontillado or Cream Sherry, or a Malmsey Madeira: slightly chilled (55 degrees, i.e. “cellar temp,” is recommended) in an all-purpose white wine stem. There’s no need to decant it, and while it would certainly be a great nightcap or dessert sipper at the end of an epic meal, I would strongly consider it as a pairing with a “savory” course or even as an apéritif with almonds, cheeses, and some membrillo. Its freshness and sunny wildness will wake up your palate like few wines can, and you can’t help but be mesmerized by its complex mix of sweet/spicy/salty/fruity flavors. It’s a conversation-piece wine and one to be sipped slowly—the same pace at which it was made! Attached is a Sicilian-inspired pasta preparation that will sing with it, in the hope that it makes it onto your dinner table soon. You’re going to love it!
