Marco De Bartoli Marsala Superiore Oro Riserva 1988 (500 mL)

The Marco De Bartoli Marsala Superiore Oro Riserva 1988 is highly regarded and considered one of the finest expressions of Marsala wine. Marco De Bartoli is a legendary producer who played a crucial role in reviving traditional Marsala winemaking techniques, emphasizing quality over quantity.

Key Features:
Vintage: 1988
Type: Marsala Superiore Oro Riserva
Grapes: Primarily made from Grillo, with possible blends of Inzolia and Catarratto.
Aging: Aged in oak casks for many years, which imparts complex and layered flavors.

Tasting Notes:
Color: Deep amber with golden highlights.
Aroma: Rich and intense, with notes of dried fruits like apricots and figs, alongside hints of caramel, honey, and toasted nuts.
Palate: Full-bodied and luscious, with a balance of sweetness and acidity. Expect flavors of toffee, orange peel, vanilla, and spices, with a long, elegant finish.
Pairing: Excellent as a dessert wine, it pairs well with aged cheeses, nuts, and pastries. It can also be enjoyed on its own as a contemplative sipper.

Reputation:
Marco De Bartoli’s wines, especially his Marsalas, are known for their depth, complexity, and adherence to traditional methods. The 1988 Marsala Superiore Oro Riserva is particularly sought after by collectors and connoisseurs for its exceptional quality.

Winemaker Notes
100% Grillo. All De Bartoli’s marsala wines are pure Grillo, a rarity–as is its being organically farmed, estate-only, hand-harvested fruit. The bunches are gently pressed and the must fermented spontaneously with natural yeasts in wooden vats. The wine is first aged for a year in conical wooden vats called tini. From here, wine destined to become a Superiore is drawn off and fortified with a mistella, a combination of fresh Grillo must and distilled Grillo spirit, again all from De Bartoli fruit (another rarity). The fortified wine goes into a solera system of barrels of varying sizes and ages; there is no flor like in Jerez, and the barrels in this fractional blending system are never fully topped, so the aging of the wine in the system is oxidative. For their vintage-labeled Superiore Riservas, the wine is drawn off to be further aged, untopped, in individual barrels; that year of its going into barrel becomes the vintage date on the bottle. The Marsala DOC requires a minimum aging of only 4 years for Superiore Riserva; De Bartoli’s versions are from 10-20 years before bottling. They are semi-secco or “semi-dry” due to the original fortification with mistella (the must portion of it is naturally full of sugar). Residual sugar is usually in the 50-60-grams/liter range.

Professional Ratings

Vinous 96 Points
The 1988 Marsala Superiore Oro Riserva is a dark amber color with orange hues. It opens with a spice-box bouquet that takes all the confections of Autumn and Christmas blended with dried apricots, peaches and cedar shavings. It’s silky smooth yet lifted and decidedly savory, with a burst of ground ginger and sour citrus complicating its remnants of tart orchard fruit. Butterscotch comes together with clove and golden raisin as the 1988 finishes impossibly long and potent. It shows just a touch of forgivable heat as suggestions of hazelnut linger on and on. More like a brown spirit than a wine, the 1988 is irresistible.

Decanter 94 Points
100% Grillo aged for 10 years in oak casks of different sizes in a solera system after being fortified with homemade mistella (fresh grape must and aquavit). Intense amber with copper hues. It is complex and rich on the nose; it has hints of dried figs, apricot jam, coffee, nutmeg, and candied citrus. The mouth is elegant and velvety, dominated by a decisive freshness. The finish is savoury, complex and long.