Cantine Pellegrino Marsala Superiore Riserva Semisecco 1985 (750ml)

Marsala’s story as a great wine begins in 1773, when English merchant John Woodhouse landed on Sicily’s western coast, tasted the local wine, and fortified it so it could survive the voyage home to England. A century later, in 1880, the notary Paolo Pellegrino and his son Carlo founded their house in the town of Marsala, and Cantine Pellegrino has since become one of the names most closely tied to the wine’s heritage, still family-run and still aging its finest bottlings in historic cellars lined with old casks. This 1985 Superiore Riserva is a rare survivor from those cellars: made from native Sicilian white grapes such as Grillo and Catarratto grown near the coast between Marsala and Mazara del Vallo, it was fortified with grape spirit and enriched with cooked grape must in the traditional ambra style, which gives it its deep amber color and gently caramelized character. It then spent well over a decade slumbering in large oak barrels before a final period in smaller casks, far beyond what the Riserva rules require. The semisecco style leaves just a touch of sweetness, balanced by the savory depth that only long wood aging can build, with layers of dried fig, candied orange, toasted nuts, and warm spice. Now four decades old, it is a remarkable glimpse into one of Italy’s oldest wine traditions, ideal for sipping alongside aged cheeses, dried fruit, or a quiet moment after dinner.