Synopsis, Our Opinion: Simply AWESOME paired with the chicken Marsala dinner.
Producer/Winery: Marco De Bartoli; Pentelleria, Italy.
Grape Variety: Grillo.
Geographic Appellation, Region, Country: Western Sicily, Italy.
Vintage: 2016
Price: $21.60 (with a 10% mixed case discount)
Purchased From: The Caviste Wine Shop; Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Paired With: Chicken Marsala on pasta and zucchini fritters.
Tasting:
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Chilled before drinking. Clear, light oat straw color. Aromas of hyacinth blooms, citrus, apple, damp alfalfa hay and the unique smell of fresh cut Black Birch (Betula lenta). Very fresh, dry, slightly creamy, medium body (became full-body on the third pour as it warmed to room temperature) and a 200-grit texture. Flavors of robust lemon, ripe apples, tart California grapefruit, not quite ripe cantaloupe, vigorous mineral and tiny hints of “orange wine”; abundant crisp acidity that became significant through the long concentrated nutty fruit finish. Clearly not your “Garden Variety” Italian white wine with it’s layers of citrus flavors intertwined with mineral. Absolutely STELLAR paired with the chicken Marsala (and that doesn’t begin to describe the spectacular union of these two flavors) and quite alluring as a sipping wine. Clearly the combination of the sweet Marsala and the tart, dry Vignaverde were a perfect example where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts and resulted in a MEMORABLE wine pairing dinner. We’ve had this wine pairing before (see our review of Tami’ (Occhipinti) Frappato Terre Siciliane 2014 and Tami’ (Occhipinti) Grillo Terre Siciliane 2014); however, this De Bartoli Grillo really stepped it up…this combination is right at the top of our BEST WINE PAIRINGS ever…I can still taste the mushrooms sautéed in Marsala and a sip of the De Bartoli Grillo!!! Simply AWESOME paired with the chicken Marsala dinner and a very special wine.
Photo from Marco De Bartoli (Maurizio Gjiovovich).
See also: Our review of other Marco De Bartoli wines.
Alcohol Content: 12.5%
Closure: Reconstructed cork.
UPC Code: Not available.
Imported by: Louis/Dressner Selections; New York, New York.