Barraco 2017 Terre Siciliane Grillo Altogrado

Calling all fans of sherry! Nino Barraco believe the future of wine is oxidative, and the best way to understand that is through his top wine, 'Altogrado'. This is a wine that gave me pause and made me reflect on the interplay of ancient traditions in the modern day. Few people are making wines like this the the pre-British methods of using Grillo instead of Catarratto and not fortifying. First, the Grillo is sourced from 2 small vineyards, one with iron-rich red soil and the other with limestone based clay, both very close to the limestone motherrock. Next, the grapes are destemmed and macerated for 24 hours before heading into chestnut casks. These casks are topped up for 2 years, then not topped up for 5 years, most comparable to a delayed Oloroso. This is a wine of incredible length, concentration, and salinity with dried apricot, maple, and thyme. Pop the cork and sip it voer the course of a month- it'll stay incredibly fresh and bright in your refrigerator, although I highly doubt it'll last that long!