Vigna La Miccia 2018

Cette cuvée est issue de la Contrada Samperi, dans l’arrière-pays de Marsala, sur la côte occidentale de la Sicile. Les vignes, plantées sur des sols plats de nature calcaire et sablo-limoneuse, sont conduites en Guyot. Elle relève de la DOC Marsala, dans la catégorie Marsala Superiore Oro semi-secco Riserva.

Les grappes sont vendangées manuellement en petites caisses, puis sélectionnées et pressées en douceur. Après débourbage naturel, la fermentation est menée avec des levures indigènes, à température contrôlée, en cuves inox afin de préserver l’éclat du fruit. Le vin est ensuite élevé durant quatre ans en fûts neufs de chêne français, maintenus constamment pleins pour limiter l’oxydation.

Ce vin dévoile des notes de pêche mûre, abricot confit, orange confite, zeste de citron vert, amande grillée, noisette, miel, caramel, clou de girofle, cèdre, café et cacao. La bouche se montre ample et soyeuse, portée par une douceur délicate que prolonge une fraîcheur saline. Sa matière précise et chaleureuse conserve de l’élan, avec une finale très persistante, légèrement amère et finement boisée.

Ah, Italy, what a beautiful hedonistic country, home of the Dolce Vita, but how hard it is to understand how its wine is organised! The key to understanding Italy's appellation system is to think of it as several small countries rather than a single uniform one, since each region has its own appellation system. Yet Italy can offer wine lovers a multitude of wines with varied and unique flavours and styles, as well as bottles full of surprise and creativity. Unfortunately it also produces a large quantity of soulless, characterless wines sold under their most useful and commercially renowned names: Pinot Grigio, Chianti, Valpolicella, Lambrusco, Prosecco and many others... But let us talk a little history: winegrowing in Italy goes back to the most distant antiquity and originated in Greece. The Etruscans are said to have introduced the vine, and Greek immigrants improved and changed the grape varieties, later calling the country "Oenotria": the land of wine. At the height of the Roman Empire, wine held an important place in daily life, and some regions already stood out for the excellence of their produce. The Romans also planted many vineyards across Europe, leaving an indelible mark of their conquests. Today Italy is the largest wine producer in the world, ahead of France. Italy is divided into three climatic zones. The northern mountains have a fairly harsh mountain climate. The plain in the "middle of the boot" has a continental climate with cold winters and hot, stormy summers. The "south of the boot" enjoys a Mediterranean climate with very hot, very dry summers, not forgetting the islands of Sicily and Sardinia. In short, Italy produces a great variety of wines thanks to its 200 different grape varieties, many of them native to its land. It is a country just as complex as its wines, and well worth exploring!