2021-C Curatolo Arini 'Paccamora' Catarratto, Terre Siciliane IGT, Italy (750ml)
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A Monthly Wine Club Selection
In 1875 Vito Curatolo Arini built a small winery and set off in pursuit of his dream to make great Marsala wine and sell it throughout the world. That was quite an ambitious step for a young farmer from Sicily whose family only had 3 hectares at the time. However, he did in fact become one of the first companies in Sicily to ship wines to Europe and the Americas. Over the decades, the family continued to grow the winery, and today—after nearly 150 years, they are the longest standing family-owned Marsala producer. As Marsala’s popularity waned in the 20th century, the family began to develop their vineyard holding with native varietals, the aim being an expansion of their portfolio to non-fortified still wines. Today, after five generations, Vito’s dream is kept alive with the same passion by his direct descendants Riccardo and Alexandra, and their respective fathers Roberto and Sergio, in collaboration with veteran winemaker Antonino Reina and Tuscan oenologist Alberto Antonini. Curatolo Arini has garnered many accolades as a contemporary winery with an incredible heritage, and as such, they continue to make a small amount of Marsala in the old way with mosto cotta cooked over an open fire, carrying the traditions of the past proudly into the future.
The Paccamora Catarratto is part of Curatolo Arini’s monovarietal project, focused on highlighting multiple territorial expressions of indigenous Sicilian grape varieties. The coastal region of Marsala with its sun and heat, mitigated by the constant winds and night humidity brought by the sea, together with the generosity of the red soil, make this terroir the ideal place to grow Catarratto—known for its distinctive, fragrant aromatics.
Made from 100% organically farmed Catarratto, handpicked in early September. The grapes were destemmed and saw a cold maceration on the skins for several hours, followed by soft pressing and fermentation in temperature controlled stainless-steel tanks; it was aged sur lies for 50 days prior to bottling.
Bright yellow. Layered aromas of lychee, stone fruit and lemongrass. The medium-bodied palate is remarkably savory with a lot of personality, texture and complexity, showing flavors of starfruit, ginger and tropical pâte de fruit. Clean with a saline freshness and prominent mineral note on the tapering finish.