Marco de Bartoli Vecchio Samperi Ventennale NV

Arresting from the first sniff, dried apricot, nectarine, yellow curry, dusty florals and a thread of ginger rise from the glass with unusual intensity. Silky and full-bodied, it balances genuine richness against a piercing seam of acidity that keeps everything honest. Roasted almond, custard, dark chocolate and salted caramel fill out the mid-palate without tipping into excess, the finish lands dry and clean, refreshing rather than exhausting. Produced via a solera system using Grillo, with an average age of fifteen years across the barrels; this was bottled in 2019. A singular expression of what Marsala can be when ambition and restraint coexist.