Marsala and Dry Whites from Marco De Bartoli

Marsala, Passito and Dry Whites from Marco de Bartoli

Marco De Bartoli Profile

Quick Facts

Name of Estate	Marco De Bartoli
Region	Sicily
Country	Italy
Proprietor	Renato, Sebastiano and Giuseppina De Bartoli
Size	9 hectares (Marsala), 6 hectares (Pantelleria)
Farming	Organic (Certified)
Soils	Clay and Limestone (Marsala), Volcanic (Pantelleria))
Grapes grown	Grillo, Zibibbo, Pignatello
Fun facts	Before starting his estate, the late Marco De Bartoli was a professional race car driver.

Before starting his estate, the late Marco De Bartoli was a professional race car driver.

Name of Estate	Marco De Bartoli
Region	Sicily
Country	Italy
Proprietor	Renato, Sebastiano and Giuseppina De Bartoli
Size	9 hectares (Marsala), 6 hectares (Pantelleria)
Farming	Organic (Certified)
Soils	Clay and Limestone (Marsala), Volcanic (Pantelleria))
Grapes grown	Grillo, Zibibbo, Pignatello
Fun facts	Before starting his estate, the late Marco De Bartoli was a professional race car driver.

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Marco De Bartoli

producer profile 28.06.2019

Marco De Bartoli Producer Profile

<glossary title="633">Marsala</glossary> production dates back to the 1770's, when the Englishman John Woodhouse accidentally stumbled across the local wine made in a method called <glossary title="536">il perpetuum</glossary>, basically a <glossary title="461">fortified</glossary> wine. He immediately shipped it back to England, where it was successfully received. In the following decades more British-born merchants arrived, production increased, a harbor and nearby warehouse was built for ease of transport (based on the Oporto model) and most importantly the <glossary title="967">solera</glossary> system was imported from <glossary title="614">Madeira</glossary> and  <glossary title="950">Sherry</glossary>. This prosperity continued through the next century and beyond 1860, when the Italian states unified (Garibaldi landed his unifying army of exiles in the port of <glossary title="633">Marsala</glossary> - the rest is history). At that point, an important business man named Vincenzo Florio started <glossary title="185">bottling</glossary> <glossary title="633">Marsala</glossary> independently and under his own name. The wine steadily rose in popularity over the years, and by the early 1900's there were a 100+ wineries in the city of  <glossary title="633">Marsala</glossary>, most located right on the coast for easy exporting. By the 1960's, local wine <glossary title="252">cooperatives</glossary> had grown considerably and production started focusing on quantity instead of quality. Instead of using the <glossary title="1139">indigenous</glossary> and traditional  <glossary title="511">Grillo</glossary>, <glossary title="252">co-ops</glossary> started <glossary title="1146">blending</glossary> all types of white grapes indiscriminately. Furthermore,  <glossary title="461">fortification</glossary>, <glossary title="270">chaptalisation</glossary> and the addition of caramel food coloring or cooked <glossary title="700">must</glossary> to give the illusion of advanced <glossary title="754">oxidation</glossary> became commonplace. Predictably, the increasingly poor quality of <glossary title="633">Marsala</glossary> slowly killed off the reputation of what was once highly distinguished wine. Even today, many still consider <glossary title="633">Marsala</glossary> little more than cheap cooking wine for the staple recipes of Italian-American restaurants. Enter Marco De Bartoli. In his youth, Marco had worked with his father on his family farm near the town of  <glossary title="633">Marsala</glossary>. But his obsession with cars and a need for speed proved too strong, leading to a first career as a professional race car driver. Towards the end of this career, however, Marco was ready to turn a new leaf. Thinking back on his youth, he felt a deep sadness that the once proud tradition of <glossary title="633">Marsala</glossary> had sunken so low. He decided he wanted to change this.  First, Marco reconstructed his family's old <glossary title="254">cellar</glossary> on his mother's farm in the contras of Samperi. Then he searched high and wide for old <glossary title="967">solera</glossary> <glossary title="142">barrels</glossary> of <glossary title="511">Grillo</glossary> from local <glossary title="329">contadini</glossary>. Much to his surprise, many were eager to part with these ancient relics, some even happy to give them to him for free! Next came the vines, planted progressively and exclusively in  <glossary title="511">Grillo</glossary>, which in Marco's eyes was and is THE ONLY grape to make <glossary title="633">Marsala</glossary> due to its high  <glossary title="71">acidity</glossary>, ability to reach high degrees of alcohol and <glossary title="74">aging</glossary> potential. Finally the wines: "Vecchio Samperi" represented the  <glossary title="461">unfortified</glossary>, traditional style of <glossary title="633">Marsala</glossary> while the "Superiore" line was <glossary title="461">fortified</glossary> with mistella (sweet <glossary title="700">must</glossary> and <glossary title="411">eau de vie</glossary>) as a statement that the <glossary title="233">cantina</glossary> was not only rooted in the past, but well versed in the present and future.  In 1984, Marco started a new project on the island of  <glossary title="759">Pantelleria</glossary>, originally producing only a  <glossary title="765">Passito</glossary>. By the early 1990's, his had garnered a stellar reputation for being alone in making truly stunning expressions of <glossary title="633">Marsala</glossary>  <glossary title="1026">terroir</glossary>.  But the story doesn't end there. By the mid 1990's, Marco's children Renato, Sebastiano and Giusippina had all joined him in this work. Youthful energy led to new experiments, most notably dry white wines from <glossary title="511">Grillo</glossary> and later <glossary title="1131">Zibibbo</glossary> from  <glossary title="759">Pantelleria</glossary>. While <glossary title="279">chemicals</glossary> had never been used in the vineyards and the <glossary title="511">Grillo</glossary> for the <glossary title="633">Marsala</glossary> was never  <glossary title="542">yeasted</glossary>, <glossary title="321">conventional yeasts</glossary> were used on the dry whites until 2006. Sebastiano elaborates on working <glossary title="746">organically</glossary> and using <glossary title="538">native yeast</glossary>  <glossary title="441">fermentations</glossary>: "Our idea was always to make wine as a product of the land so we have always eschewed <glossary title="1002">systemic</glossary> <glossary title="279">chemicals</glossary>. I do not remember a particular date we followed this course (<glossary title="746">organic</glossary>), but I can tell you that about ten years ago I personally began to follow this campaign and have been sure of it ever since. I distinctly remember that even before then my father did not want to do intensive <glossary title="78">agriculture</glossary> and prevented the farmer who worked our lands from using <glossary title="442">fertilizers</glossary>, <glossary title="526">herbicides</glossary> and so on... Up to now we did not seek <glossary title="260">organic certification</glossary> because it did not seem a serious approach and my father's point of view was never to have "<glossary title="746">organic</glossary>" be a selling point for his work. But my dad was extreme and today <glossary title="746">organics</glossary> seem to be a more serious issue. We understand the need for people to have the <glossary title="260">certification</glossary>, so we are now seeking it. For the <glossary title="538">indigenous yeasts</glossary>, the key was the production of the "Integer" in 2006. I am not reneging the <glossary title="321">selected yeast</glossary> used in the 90's because it allowed us to understand an innovative form of <glossary title="511">Grillo</glossary> and <glossary title="1131">Zibibbo</glossary>. But with the experiments of the Integer we understood the potential of the land was far more important than so many other things, knowing also that it was more risky.  It may not always be the same for the tastes and aromas of the wine, but it certainly enhances the territorial <glossary title="1056">typicity</glossary>." For more a more in depth look at how the <glossary title="633">Marsalas</glossary> and dry whites are produced, please refer to the two visit recaps and wine descriptions below.

harvest report 22.12.2022

2022 Harvest Report from Giuseppina De Bartoli

producer visit 07.08.2019

This visit to Cantina Marco De Bartoli took place in May, 2014

This visit to Cantina Marco De Bartoli took place in May, 2014. Words by Jules Dressner. Photos by Jill Berheimer, Josefa Concannon, Jake Halper and David Norris. On our first day in <glossary title="951">Sicily</glossary>, we got a day off to hang out in the incredibly photogenic town of <glossary title="1041">Trapani</glossary>.  <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_07//08/b7/08b7b0fb62438e0beccfa59679c7b21b.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_07//f0/55/f055fb5a7dd806541f5568fd4e87fab8.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_07//c3/8c/c38cc9ff3da82620bb9f56535fb0a553.jpg" /> While walking around, I kept noticing locals hanging outside burning huge candles. At first I thought little of it; after all I'm not from there and maybe that's how people hang. But then I started hearing marching band music: <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/uqJHHa952uY" width="640"></iframe> And along with the marching band, a huge group of people where following a statue of this guy! <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_07//07/75/0775902f251427ed61795a72c02fc776.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_07//b3/77/b3778db90dee9ff7fc429ebf3ee91ff6.jpg" /> Our group was a bit stumped as to what this ritual pertained to, but with some googling we were able to figure out it was a celebration for Santo Padre, who, amongst other accolades, was the 2nd Pope. Complete segue: the best painting of all time was on proud display at the restaurant we ate at that night:  <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_07//74/f4/74f4f695ced7c640bf1e0ee555a26a9d.jpg" /> The following morning we drove over to <glossary title="633">Marsala</glossary> to see the De Bartoli family. As originally reported in 2012, their <glossary title="519">hamlet</glossary> still looks like a cross of Miami Vice and a Spaghetti Western. <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_07//d9/b6/d9b6cbdb7a0a3dce3f340d347efcaeeb.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_07//03/31/03317f29102b319e3a5d2b064a9e9623.jpg" /> Here is their adorable dog Picasso, who many felt was the cutest canine of the trip: <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_07//b6/75/b675ac5d78a9697de9713fabd7a3eca2.jpg" /> Here I am angering Picasso by trying to do "extreme" maneuvers on a tiny, tiny skateboard not much bigger than my foot: <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/PPCg1yPgQ8M" width="640"></iframe> This video truly gives you all an inside glimpse in the sheer professionalism we here at Louis/Dressner profess with every visit.  Right on the outskirts of the De Bartoli <glossary title="254">cellar</glossary>, a <glossary title="596">limestone</glossary> quarry provides a good look into what the soils/<glossary title="991">subsoils</glossary> of the area look like.  <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_07//dc/c8/dcc8a61789479c0eb51d48c5c94bfe23.jpg" /> Interestingly, the <glossary title="596">limestone</glossary> from Western <glossary title="951">Sicily</glossary> is not only great for growing white grapes, but also for building houses.  "Half of <glossary title="951">Sicily</glossary> was built from our area's stones." I couldn't help but notice this everywhere we went for our remainder of the time on the island.  To the side of the quarry, nine <glossary title="523">hectares</glossary> are planted in <glossary title="511">Grillo</glossary>.  <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_07//31/24/3124b8c2fd2fe023070923266c3e74c1.jpg" /> These nine <glossary title="523">hectares</glossary> produce all of the De Bartoli <glossary title="511">Grillo</glossary> based <glossary title="363">cuvées</glossary>: "Vigna Verde", "Grappoli di Grillo", "Integer Grillo" and of course the beautiful line-up of <glossary title="633">Marsalas</glossary> the <glossary title="427">estate</glossary> is famous for. The <glossary title="249">Cataratto</glossary> that produces "Lucido" are a short 4 kilometers away and the <glossary title="797">Pignatello</glossary> that produces "Rosso di Marco" are 10km away.  From the vines, we set off to the De Bartolis' beautiful and elaborate <glossary title="254">cellar</glossary>. Before I jump into the technical stuff, I highly recommend re-reading my visit recap from two years ago. There will certainly be some overlap (as well as a past Miami Vice reference), but many of the details I delve into below will complement the information from our past visit that I didn't catch the first time around.  The <glossary title="633">Marsala</glossary> process begins in the ground level part of the <glossary title="254">cellar</glossary>: <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_07//e6/4b/e64bdbbf542a402202c53573fdd1c223.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_07//c0/6d/c06d4ed299c2822bc43e6d248c783b9b.jpg" /> To understand how the <glossary title="967">solera</glossary> process works, the first concept to grasp is that alcohol molecules are bigger than water molecules, and therefore water molecules disappear first with evaporation, leaving a more <glossary title="324">concentrated</glossary> alcoholic liquid to be <glossary title="751">topped off</glossary> with new wine each year.  The top floor <glossary title="254">cellar</glossary> is where the <glossary title="967">solera</glossary> process takes place, going from top to bottom <glossary title="142">barrel</glossary>; if you scroll up to the picture above, you will notice they go from smallest at the top to biggest at the bottom. The new wine added each <glossary title="1109">vintage</glossary> is <glossary title="1104">vinified</glossary> like the "Integer": <glossary title="142">barrel</glossary> <glossary title="441">fermentation</glossary> and <glossary title="74">aging</glossary> without any added <glossary title="993">sulfur</glossary>. Every year, <glossary title="633">Marsala</glossary> is <glossary term="Bottling" title="185">bottled</glossary> from the small <glossary title="74">aging</glossary> <glossary title="142">barrels</glossary> in the underground <glossary title="254">cellar</glossary> (we'll get to that shortly), and wine from the huge bottom <glossary title="142">barrels</glossary> is <glossary title="843">racked</glossary> back into the small <glossary title="142">barrels</glossary>, where they will continue <glossary title="74">aging</glossary> until they are <glossary title="185">bottled</glossary>. In practice, this is a never-ending process:  "<glossary title="633">Marsala</glossary> can age for hundreds of years." The average mix in a big bottom <glossary title="142">barrel</glossary> is 20 <glossary title="1109">vintages</glossary>.  From the ground level <glossary title="254">cellar</glossary>, we walked two flights down into the <glossary title="74">aging</glossary> <glossary title="254">cellar</glossary>.  <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_07//0f/92/0f9209a77d86ff81743ef274cce15309.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_07//d2/e5/d2e53b563fc69470bcd8dac57c1e1a20.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_07//ed/e7/ede7a6adaf451b09b90c60ed4928001c.jpg" /> As explained earlier, these little barrels are where the wine that has already gone through the <glossary title="967">solera</glossary> process. It is at this point that the wine is either left to <glossary term="Aging" title="74">age</glossary> on its own before <glossary title="185">bottling</glossary> or <glossary title="461">fortified</glossary> with mistella (sweet <glossary term="Must" title="700">must</glossary> and <glossary term="Eau de Vie" title="411">eau de vie</glossary>) to produce the Superiore line. "Traditional <glossary title="633">Marsala</glossary> was never <glossary title="461">fortified</glossary>, but my father wanted to look forward while also honoring tradition. This is how the Superiore line came to be. Still, it is the territory, the grape and oxygenation that makes a <glossary title="633">Marsala</glossary>, not <glossary title="461">fortification</glossary>." At the end of the <glossary title="254">cellar</glossary> visit, Sebastiano drew this very helpful diagram to understand the whole process of making a De Bartoli <glossary title="633">Marsala</glossary>.  <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_07//2f/fd/2ffd34478a19cf223be3ef12aae97003.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_07//e3/19/e319bc84b8b6ee51a040c3f5739d31fd.jpg" /> It all seems so simple when you add a cute drawing!  It was time to taste, which is always a lot of fun since the family produces so many different wines from the same vines and land.  <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_07//ed/0d/ed0dbd1f17029e605ba7f6e531d476a5.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_07//d4/2d/d42d6de4d3fd1ede5a1523b7e5cd4471.jpg" /> We also got to taste the <glossary title="1131">Zibibbo</glossary> based <glossary title="765">passitos</glossary> from the island of <glossary title="759">Pantelleria</glossary>, a project started in 1984. As a fun treat, Sebastiano pulled out a few <glossary title="1138">bunches</glossary> of the dried grapes that make the wine for us to taste. <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_07//4c/81/4c814672d4c8f8d4fa3abdc8db783030.jpg" /> BEST. RAISINS. EVER. We ended our visit with a tour of the late Marco's prized car <glossary title="254">cellar</glossary>, which is full of rare automobiles from the 1960's, 1970's and 1980's. <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_07//d1/b6/d1b6bef155fda68956214cd55b66ad1d.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_07//8c/cb/8ccb4b34547ac68c901b78c30c5ca6d7.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_07//f0/54/f05449f573e3293c2db8131a78aacdba.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_07//68/b8/68b830573a3818eae425098feb042a3c.jpg" /> The funnest part was seeing Marco's favorite sports car, this red Alfa Romeo that served as the inspiration for the "Rosso di Marco" <glossary title="573">label</glossary>! <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_07//28/9a/289a6bd67646590fca0c93e47cb6c9f5.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_07//2d/a5/2da5b62adc2de431c4b85db26ffcaad7.jpg" /> VROOOOOOMMM!!!!!!

producer visit 07.08.2019

This visit to the De Bartolis took place in April, 2012

This visit to the De Bartolis took place in April, 2012. Words by Jules Dressner, photos by Lauren Feldman, Shawn Mead and Ian Becker. The De Bartoli brothers live in a little <glossary title="519">hamlet</glossary> that looks like a cross of Miami Vice and a Spaghetti Western. <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_07//19/7e/197e7ee1f2252011efc7b76f213239dd.jpg" /> We got out of our cars and Sebastiano greeted the group.  <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_07//0e/7a/0e7a3b2e19f86c194013f33199a92d88.jpg" /> After saying hello, we got to check out the only vines we'd see that day, a large <glossary title="760">parcel</glossary> of <glossary title="511">Grillo</glossary> located in the back of the farm. <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_07//6d/5e/6d5e98607b0cfcc672f672bd0c7ac312.jpg" /> The brothers also grow grapes in many different parts of <glossary title="633">Marsala</glossary>, as well as the tiny volcanic island of <glossary title="759">Pantelleria</glossary> for the "Bukkuram" (more info on their <a href="http://www.marcodebartoli.com/home_bukkuram.html">official website</a>). No <glossary title="442">fertilizers</glossary> are ever used, as they feel the plant's roots need to go deep into the soil to keep their substance. It's very dry where they are, so <glossary title="1137">mildew</glossary> and <glossary title="737">odium</glossary> are not a concern. They use about three <glossary title="993">sulfur</glossary> <glossary title="328">treatments</glossary> a year on the vines, and are <glossary title="260">certified organic</glossary>.  The soils vary, but are mostly composed of <glossary title="596">limestone</glossary>; <glossary title="909">sand</glossary> and <glossary title="1117">volcanic</glossary> ash are also present. The brothers specialize in growing white grapes, but they also have <glossary title="1001">Syrah</glossary> and <glossary title="650">Merlot</glossary> planted, as well as a recently acquired <glossary title="760">parcel</glossary> of the local red grape <glossary title="797">Pignatello</glossary> (not to be confused with the white grape <glossary title="798">Pignoletto</glossary> that Alberto Tedeschi grows in <glossary title="420">Emilia-Romagna</glossary>).  <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_07//1d/f3/1df307b20a83f69768042448c34c17d8.jpg" /> An old farmer recently sold them a <glossary title="760">parcel</glossary> in <glossary title="941">selection massale</glossary>: they have been experimenting and might eventually bottle it commercially (ed note: since the writing of this piece, the brothers have released this wine under the name "Rosso di Marco" and have <glossary title="500">re-grafted</glossary> their <glossary title="1001">Syrah</glossary> and <glossary title="650">Merlot</glossary> vines with the more suited, <glossary title="1139">indigenous</glossary> <glossary title="797">Pignatello</glossary>). The <glossary title="143">barrel sample</glossary> we tasted was juicy and on the lighter side of things. The grape they grow the most of is <glossary title="511">Grillo</glossary>, which in <glossary title="1139">indigenous</glossary> to <glossary title="633">Marsala</glossary> but now grown in other parts of <glossary title="951">Sicily</glossary> (TAMI' <glossary title="511">Grillo</glossary>, for example). It's very high <glossary title="1129">yielding</glossary> and in the last 50 years, most growers have been selling in bulk to <glossary title="252">cooperatives</glossary>, so value has plummeted. And while people now use a ton of other grapes to make <glossary title="633">Marsala</glossary> (which for most has become little more than cheap cooking wine, but more on that later), the De Bartolis feel that <glossary title="511">Grillo</glossary> is the ONLY grape to use when making an authentic one. Why? Because it maintains high <glossary title="71">acidity</glossary>, which is great for <glossary title="74">aging</glossary>.  We then started our tour of the <glossary title="254">cellar</glossary>, which is subdivided in accordance to the many styles of wines produced by the De Bartoli family. The upstairs hosts all the <glossary title="986">stainless steel</glossary> <glossary title="1140">tanks</glossary>, and the first wine we tasted was a <glossary title="653">méthode traditionelle</glossary> <glossary title="511">Grillo</glossary> sparkling wine from Renato's Terzavia line. "Terzavia" stands for "a third way"; the family produces the classic <glossary title="633">Marsala</glossary> <glossary title="389">dessert wines</glossary>, the unique dry whites and so the Terzavia is yet another approach to <glossary title="1104">vinification</glossary> (ed note: since the writing of this piece, the Terzavia line has been discontinued and incorporated into the Marco De Bartoli label). The sparkling is really, really good, and you should buy some if you haven't already. The wine has no  <glossary title="403">dosage</glossary>: instead Renato adds a fresh <glossary title="700">must</glossary> after the wine is <glossary title="441">fermented</glossary> dry to create bubbles. The wine was from 2009 and the <glossary title="700">must</glossary> from 2010.  We then checked out the <glossary title="142">barrel</glossary> room for <glossary title="405">dry</glossary> whites, where Renato began extracting samples for us. <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_07//60/0b/600bde3f7a116668e291b7a3b92ae351.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_07//45/4d/454d355d91330b85c61e26a80789b6cf.jpg" /> The wines we were tasting were the INTEGER line. This is something the brothers started doing a few years ago, the idea being to show how <glossary title="1104">vinification</glossary> choices affect the final product. The INTEGER <glossary title="363">cuvées</glossary> (one <glossary title="511">Grillo</glossary>, one <glossary title="1131">Zibbibo</glossary>) are <glossary title="441">fermented</glossary> and <glossary title="74">aged</glossary> in <glossary title="739">old oak</glossary> with <glossary title="147">bâtonnage</glossary>, in contrast to the "Grappoli di Grillo" and "Pietra Nera" (<glossary title="1131">Zibbibo</glossary>) <glossary title="363">cuvées</glossary>, which are <glossary title="316">cold stabilized</glossary> and <glossary title="441">fermented</glossary> in <glossary title="986">stainless steel </glossary>before being <glossary title="843">racked</glossary> in <glossary title="731">oak</glossary>. Sebastiano explained that the winery had taken advantage of new technology in the early 1990's (specifically referring to <glossary title="316">cold stabilization</glossary>) and that this had resulted in a style of wine that became very popular with their customers. But as time went by, and with Marco De Bartoli being an <glossary title="131">azienda</glossary> founded on innovation AND tradition, the brothers decided they wanted to make something a little more old school (even though making dry whites is a relatively new phenomenon in <glossary title="633">Marsala</glossary>). The juice for both styles comes from the same grapes, <glossary title="521">harvested</glossary> at the same time; to reiterate, the only difference is the <glossary title="1104">vinification</glossary>, which does in fact make a huge difference in how the wines taste. Both styles are very good.  After our INTEGER tasting (the 2011's are well on their way), it was the moment we'd all been waiting for: a visit to the <glossary title="633">Marsala</glossary> lair! <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_07//a6/62/a662dc9859727d9be6814c04e1346463.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_07//10/7c/107cace4ae56b263f182850901dbfd78.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_07//0b/fb/0bfb00b48a7eb38c07cf53c237ee3075.jpg" /> The <glossary title="633">Marsala</glossary> <glossary title="254">cellar</glossary> needs to be underground to accelerate <glossary title="754">oxidation</glossary>. Two styles are made, the first being the Vecchio Samperi line, which is NOT <glossary title="461">fortified</glossary> (the vast majority of <glossary title="633">Marsala</glossary> produced today is <glossary title="461">fortified</glossary> with alcohol). Then there is the Superiore line, which IS <glossary title="461">fortified</glossary> with mistella, a combination of sweet <glossary title="700">must</glossary> and <glossary title="411">eau de vie</glossary>. This makes them sweeter and rounder, a result most other <glossary title="633">Marsala</glossary> producers obtain by using cooked <glossary title="700">must</glossary> and caramel to give that same impression of <glossary title="74">aging</glossary>. Both are a product of the <glossary title="967">solera</glossary> method: this is a process where new wine is constantly being added to old wine to keep it fresh. In practice, this is a never-ending process. In the late 1970's, Marco De Bartoli began buying old <glossary title="142">barrels</glossary> from any farmer willing to sell them to him. Some had clearly marked <glossary title="1109">vintages</glossary> on them, most didn't. They are all still being used today.  When the De Bartolis release a <glossary title="1109">vintage</glossary> <glossary title="633">Marsala</glossary> (ex: 1986), this indicates the year it was <glossary title="461">fortified</glossary>; therefore a <glossary title="1109">vintaged</glossary> De Bartoli <glossary title="633">Marsala</glossary> will always be part of the Superiore line. The brothers also release <glossary title="852">riserva</glossary> wines: the legal amount of time needed to declare a <glossary title="852">riserva</glossary> is five years, but for the De Bartoli's it has to be at least 10.  Keeping up?  Before we knew it, it was lunch time. Renato served up this fantastic seafood cous-cous.  <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_07//fa/94/fa944f787842414afd0f6679719d278c.jpg" /> With the couscous we got to taste the 2010 "Pietra Nera" from 60 year old <glossary title="1131">Zibibbo</glossary> vines on <glossary title="1117">volcanic</glossary> soils. Super fresh. The vineyards are at 400 meter elevation, and were <glossary title="521">harvested</glossary> almost an entire month after the <glossary title="">Grillo</glossary>! We then tasted the 2010 "Grappoli di Grillo" along with the 2005 to see how the wine ages. The winery started experimenting with <glossary title="976">spontaneous fermentation</glossary> in 2005, and has been using 100% <glossary title="538">native yeasts</glossary> since 2008. By tasting the the <glossary title="542">inoculated</glossary> '05 alongside the '10, it was a rare opportunity to taste the same wine made with and without  <glossary title="321">preselected yeasts</glossary>. The 2005 was certainly a very good wine, but there was a flatness, a lack of life in the middle <glossary title="756">palate</glossary> I often get with <glossary title="542">yeasted</glossary> wines.  Sebastiano also wanted to prove to the group that <glossary title="633">Marsala</glossary> wasn't just a <glossary title="389">dessert wine </glossary>and could be paired with salty foods. He pulled out the 1986 Superiore (the first <glossary title="1109">vintage</glossary> wine in the <glossary title="131">azienda's</glossary> history), and definitely got the point across by serving us the single saltiest plate of food I've ever had in my life.  <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_07//c2/1c/c21cfc9498502901abda6cd99fb1ce19.jpg" /> That's salt cured anchovies, salt cured tuna, salt cured tuna heart and salt cured something-else-I-forgot. It was very salty. The 1986 was bold and elegant, and did indeed stand up to the salt really well, though I still had to drink five glasses of water and have fourths of couscous to get my <glossary title="756">palate</glossary> back on track. We ended the meal with a very refreshing fruit salad and cigars.  <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_07//43/b6/43b66cf370776aae702294662c931a19.jpg" /> We then returned to the <glossary title="254">cellar</glossary> to taste from the original 1986 <glossary title="142">barrels</glossary>.  <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_07//e4/c0/e4c03181e12d8d3cd51263a129ade337.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_07//2e/23/2e2338d087fea4f782729052440dc8f5.jpg" /> We ended the tasting with a sip from a 1903 <glossary title="142">barrel</glossary>!  <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_07//c0/26/c02610c96d6f2a653d471a61872e0345.jpg" /> To Sebastiano's knowledge, this is the oldest wine in all of <glossary title="633">Marsala</glossary>. "When my father bought it, it was basically molasses!"  The <glossary title="723">nose</glossary> was incredible, with tons of depth and spice. On the <glossary title="756">palate</glossary>, a never ending finish.  The tasting was over, so we we drove back to downtown <glossary title="633">Marsala</glossary>, where Sebastiano had us pull over on the docks to give us a history lesson. <glossary title="633">Marsala</glossary> production dates back to the 1770's, and is a direct result of the Spanish/English war. Brits were already in <glossary title="951">Sicily</glossary> at that point, and started making wine similar to <glossary title="614">Madeira</glossary> and <glossary title="950">Sherry</glossary>, also made using the <glossary title="967">solera</glossary> method. This continued until 1860, when the Italian states united. At this point, <a href="http://www.cantineflorio.it/flash/index.html" target="_blank">Mr. Florio</a>, an important business man, started <glossary title="185">bottling</glossary> <glossary title="633">Marsala</glossary> independently and under his name. The wine's popularity rose over the years, and by the early 1900's there were a 100+ wineries in the city, most located by the water for easy exporting. In fact, <glossary title="633">Marsala</glossary> was one of the very first wines to be exported around the world! Fast forward to the 1960's: <glossary title="252">cave cooperatives</glossary> had grown considerably, and of course started focusing on quantity instead of quality. This slowly killed the reputation of this once highly distinguished wine, which is now mostly known as cooking a disgusting American/Italian restaurant staple.  <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/S08wCZ9-Bxw" width="640"></iframe>   In the 1970's, Marco was sick of hearing that <glossary title="633">Marsala</glossary> was an <glossary title="540">industrial wine</glossary>. So he came to the countryside to produce his own. The rest is history.

producer profile 28.06.2019

Marco De Bartoli Producer Profile

harvest report 22.12.2022

2022 Harvest Report from Giuseppina De Bartoli

producer visit 07.08.2019

This visit to Cantina Marco De Bartoli took place in May, 2014

producer visit 07.08.2019

This visit to the De Bartolis took place in April, 2012