Have you ever wondered how ancient wines tasted like?
2012 Lantieri Malvasia delle Lipari Passito is your chance to find out. This sweet dessert wine comes from Sicilian Vulcano Island in the Tyrrhenian Sea.
Did you know that in antiquity, virtually all wines tasted sweet, and the best wine was the sweetest?
The winemaking on Vulcano dates back to ancient Greeks, and the wine was made from Malvasia di Lipari grape that is grown here for millennia.
Paola Lantieri restarted the ancient tradition of making this wine and, to the most part, follows the same method that was used by Greeks. She doesn’t use any fertilizers or pesticides. While there are many advancements in winemaking and lots of things are no longer done by hand, it’s not the case with this wine.
The agricultural and productive difficulties related to being on an island of just 21 square km, make this small vineyard a legitimate example of “heroic” agriculture. Slopes, where the vine grows, are steep, and tending to vines and harvesting grapes is a dangerous challenge.
Ancient Winemaking Method in the 21st Century
First, winemakers must use “late harvest” grapes. It means that grapes are left hanging until they rich maximum ripeness and are at the top of their sweetness.
Following the harvest grapes left to dry in the sun on reed mats for ten days. Grapes lose moisture and become raisin-like. It further concentrates flavors and sweetness.
Only then withered grapes are pressed, and go through fermentation.
Thanks to the unique soils of Vulcano Island, aromatic Malvasia di Lipari grapes are not just sweet but very acidic as well. And good acidity is a key to the success of any dessert wine.
2012 Malvasia delle Lipari Passito
(Malvasia delle Lipari DOC)
2012 Malvasia delle Lipari Passito is a child of love, passion, and devotion.
Color and Texture
It has a deep amber color and oil-like viscosity.
Aromas
Malvasia perfume-like aromas of orange, marmalade, chocolate, and dried fruit. When we tasted it, we could stop thinking of caramelized orange slices dipped in chocolate that we ate in one of the sweets boutiques in Athens.
Flavors
On the palate, Malvasia delle Lipari is luscious, creamy, and yet refreshing. As we took the first sip, we realized why it needs to be late harvest grape and how drying the grape helps to concentrate the flavor.
Dark chocolate, orange, dried apricot, and a touch of walnut made for a very complex character.
The brilliance of this wine is in its sensible acidity that counterbalances the sweet richness of this wine. It refreshes the palate and helps you sense all those nuances and tempts you to take another sip and explore it more and more.
We are not sure if the ancient Greeks made the same kind of wine. After all, as much as we try to follow tradition, we know a lot more about winemaking, and modern wines are better than they ever been.
In any case, thank you, Greeks, for introducing wines and spreading winemaking culture in the Ancient World. And thank you to all hardworking and talented winemakers making wine today.