Decanter World Wine Awards Gold Medal: Curatolo Arini, Marsala Vergine Riserva, 1995, Sicily, Italy, dry white, fortified: case of six bottles delivered, gift boxed

Curatolo Arini was founded in 1875 by Vito Curatolo Arini. The estate is currently run by the fifth generation of the Curatolo family, making Curatolo Arini the oldest family-owned Marsala producer still in existence. Alberto Antonini is the winery’s consultant winemaker. His influence is evident in the wines, combining the richness that Sicily can easily provide with the freshness only someone with Alberto’s experience can retain. Thanks to the favourable climate in Sicily, consistency in quality can also be assured from vintage to vintage.

The single-vineyard Zibibbo (aka Muscat of Alexandria) is grown in vineyards in the western part of Sicily, just inland from Marsala. It is a dry, aromatic style which pairs perfectly with food. The Nero d‘Avola grapes hail from vineyards in central Sicily, in the province of Caltanissetta. The vineyards here are planted 500 metres above sea level, where the combination of warm days and cool nights helps produce premium, fruit-driven red wines.

The Inzolia grapes are sourced from vineyards planted around 500 meters above sea level in the Chirchiaro area near Salemi. After destemming and crushing, the grapes are macerated for a few hours before being softly pressed and fermented in stainless steel tanks. The wine spends a few weeks on its lees before bottling, resulting in a fresh and vibrant expression with beautiful aromatics and a clear sense of place.

The Marsalas are made traditionally and offer a great alternative to Sherry. Ernesto Basile, a famous Palermo architect in the latter part of the 19th century, designed the stunning Art Deco label. The Marsala Fine offers an expressive dry style with delicious dried citrus notes and toasted almonds. The Marsala Superiore uses base wines made from the native Sicilian grapes Grillo, Inzolia and Catarratto fortified with white grape spirit and aged for five years in cask. The Riserva is only made in the best vintages and undergoes a similar ageing process, resulting in a rich, aromatic and heady wine. The Marsala Vergine Riserva, similarly produced in only the best vintages, sees a longer ageing process that lasts almost 25 years. As a result of this, it has beautiful length and complexity.

The 1995 was a superb vintage, with exceptional weather conditions especially for Grillo grapes. A mild winter was followed by a very hot summer that brought very dry winds and allowed harmonious phenological development. The scattered rain in early September meant the grapes were able to reach perfect phenolic ripeness. The fruit picked in late September had excellent levels of sugar and aromatics.