ITALIAN VALUE WINES The Velitti&Velitti Italian Value list of Wine is the result of our collaboration with Mr. David Gleave M.W. an authority on Italian wines in the UK and the owner of one of the finest importer of Italian wines in UK. Together we bring over 30 years of experience in selecting and selling Italian wines to the major international markets. The production of these wines is supervised by New Zealand born Matt Thompson in collaboration with only quality conscious suppliers, furthermore thanks to Mr. Thompson and Mr. Gleave experience in producing full flavored and impeccable wines (in Australian and New Zealand) most of these wines have achieved strong distribution in the most competitive markets in Europe and USA. We also Strongly believe, where is possible, to market these wines with Stelvin closure to preserve, freshness, clean flavors, avoiding oxidation and the minimal use of Sulphur. Where possible to build a strong partnership with buyers around the world we can discuss a marketing allowance.
CA DEL MATT - TERE CAUDE BARBERA D ASTI SUPERIORE Working with the Cantina Sociale in Nizza, Matt Thompson selected some of their best Barbera to make the Ca del Matt wines. In each, our main criteria was to select ripe, healthy grapes. The former is particularly important for Barbera, where the acidity at harvest can be very high if the grapes are not fully ripe. We believe that the Nizza area is one of the very best regions for producing fine Barbera, as the acidity is generally lower than in other parts of the Asti district. The name Ca del Matt means madhouse in the Piemontese dialect, a reflection of the difficulty of making good Barbera. Terre Caude means warm earth in Piemontese, signifying the importance of the warm, south-west facing vineyard from which this wine was made. The Tere Caude was made from grapes grown in a 50-year old hillside vineyard which is among the oldest plantings of Barbera in Nizza. Yields are naturally low here (6 tonnes per hectare or about 39 hl/ha). Soils are well-drained, chalky yellow limestone loam with clay. The grapes are usually picked in mid-october to achieve perfect ripeness. The wine is fermented on its skins for 10 days, in small, squat tanks with frequent pumping over to extract good colour and ripe tannins. Temperatures peaked at about 30 C. Half the blend is then racked into new French oak at the end of October where it undergoes malolactic fermentation. The wine is matured in barrique for 12 months. The wine has wonderful intensity, depth and length of plummy, chocolatey fruit and shows just how good Barbera can be in Asti. AWARDS The 2003 vintage was granted a Seal of Approval at the 2006 International Wine Challenge, and won Bronze at the 2006 Decanter Wine Award. Grape varieties: 100% Barbera Region: Asti, Piemonte Alchool: 14% vol Bottle : 75cl p/ 35.70 5.95
CA DEL MATT - PIEMONTE CORTESE Working with the Cantina Sociale in Nizza, Matt Thompson selected some of their best Barbera to make the Ca del Matt wines. The name Ca del Matt means madhouse in the Piemontese dialect, a reflection of the difficulty of making good Barbera. Given the success of the Barbera, Matt was keen to add a Cortese after coming across some excellent vineyards in Nizza. Vineyards are located outside Nizza, in the Monferrato hills of south-eastern Piemonte. The fruit was selected from over 500 hectares under the control of the Cantina di Nizza. Fermentation takes place in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks where the wine is held until bottling. It is unoaked to maximise freshness and d under Stelvin to eliminate cork taint. The Piemonte Cortese does not have Gavi on the label, but there are few Gavi that are this good. Clean, fresh and zesty on the palate, it has an attractive lime peel character on the finish. Grape varieties: 100% Cortese Region: Asti, Piemonte Alcohol: 12.5% vol Bottle : 75cl Closure: Stelvin 12x75cl. p/ 28.80 2.40
CA MORLIN - PROSECCO FRIZZANTE Prosecco is an indigenous variety that has been grown on the hills around Conegliano and Valdobbiadene since the beginning of the 1800 s. It was only in 1969, however, that the Conegliano and Valdobbiadene zone was acknowledged as the only area where Prosecco DOC could be produced. 12 hectares in Conegliano, a able quantity in this fragmented zone. The fruit was picked relatively late and cool-fermented in order to preserve the delicate aromatics of the grape. Both the first and second fermentation take place in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. Following the second fermentation, the wine is d under pressure so that it remains frizzante, or lightly sparkling. The frizzante IGT Colli Trevigiani, is sealed under stelvin to protect against random oxidation and cork taint. It is fresh, soft, scented and grapey, with delicious lightness and good length. Because of the quality of the fruit, the wine has a lower level of residual sugar than is usual with Prosecco, so it is drier and more drinkable as a result. Perfect as an aperitif, it is best served at a temperature of 6-8 C. Vintage: nv Grape varieties: 100% Prosecco Region: Veneto Winemaker: Andrea Morlin Alcohol: 11% vol Bottle : 75cl Closure: Crown Cap p/ 21.30 3.55
CA MORLIN - PROSECCO SUPERIORE DOCG Prosecco is an indigenous variety that has been grown on the hills around Conegliano and Valdobbiadene since the beginning of the 1800 s. It was only in 1969, however, that the Conegliano and Valdobbiadene zone was acknowledged as the only area where Prosecco DOC could be produced. 12 hectares in Conegliano, a able quantity in this fragmented zone. The fruit was picked relatively late and cool fermented in order to preserve the delicate aromatics of the grape. Both the first and second fermentation take place in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks. The spumante style of Prosecco is fully sparkling, with more CO2 retained at bottling. The fully sparkling spumante is DOCG Conegliano e Valdobbiadene. It is soft, scented and grapey, with delicious lightness and a long lasting mousse. Because of the quality of the fruit, the wine has a lower level of residual sugar than is usual with Prosecco, so is drier and more drinkable as a result. Perfect as an aperitif, it is best served between 6-8 C. Vintage: nv Grape varieties: 100% Prosecco Region: Veneto Winemaker: Andrea Morlin Alcohol: 11% vol Bottle : 75cl p/ 33.90 5.65
IL FAGGIO - MONTEPULCIANO D ABRUZZO Il Faggio is the culmination of a project that was started a few years ago and was realised in 2005 when Matt Thompson helped Liberty Wines find the right partner and agreed to oversee the production of this wine at a co-operative in the northern part of the Abruzzo. The grapes for this wine are grown on in the hills and flatter vineyards surrounding the town of San Salvo in the Abruzzi. Only the best quality grapes were chosen for this blend, from primarily hand harvested fruit. At the winery they were de-stemmed, crushed and pumped to stainless steel tanks designed specifically for fermenting red wine. The wine was inoculated with selected yeast strains, and fermented at temperatures up to 34 C. The fermentation lasted for about 6 days during which time the wine was pumped over frequently in the first few days to increase extraction, but more gently towards the end of fermentation. After pressing, the wine was transferred to tank for malolactic fermentation. Intense red/black in colour so characteristic of the Montepulciano grape variety. Concentrated black fruit and coffee nose, with more fruit perfumes in this vintage and less mocha. On the palate it is intense and chocolatey, with a chocolate cherry character supported by robust but supple tannins. Grape varieties: 100% Montepulciano Region: Abruzzo Bottle : 75cl p/ 14.40 2.40
PONTE DEL DIAVOLO - PINOT GRIGIO This is an area in which we ve struggled to find the wine we want so decided to bring in a Trentino winemaker to work alongside Alana McGettigan, who works with Matt Thompson in New Zealand and the South of France. This is the first vintage of Ponte del Diavolo and will be joined by a Refosco later in 2009/early 2010. The Ponte del Diavolo range takes its name from the spectacular medieval bridge in nearby Cividale. The story goes that the devil struck a bargain with the townspeople, promising to make them a bridge in return for the soul of the first living thing to cross it. The cunning citizens sent a dog or cat across, depending on the variation of the story, thereby saving themselves and gaining a wonderful bridge. The Pinot Grigio grapes for this wine are grown in vineyards in Grave del Friuli, where this grape has been grown for many years. The grapes are chilled on arrival at the winery and the resulting must chilled further. Minimal skin contact and temperature controlled fermentation takes place in stainless steel tank between 12-14 C. No carbon fining is used and the wine remain in tank until bottling. The Pinot Grigio is sealed under Stelvin to maximise freshness and eliminate cork taint. Bright, light lemon in colour, with a clean, fresh perfume of white fruit, fresh hazelnuts and a touch of citrus on the nose. On the palate it is dry and unoaked, with a lively, lemon/lime character with just a touch of the rich, nuttiness associated with good Pinot Grigio. Lovely fresh finish. Grape varieties: 100% Pinot Grigio Region: Friuli Winemaker: Federica Tamanini Bottle : 75cl Closure: Stelvin 12x75cl. p/ 38.40 3.20
PONTE PIETRA - TREBBIANO GARGANEGA These wines are made by Matt Thompson at the Cantina di Monteforte with fruit that is declassified from Soave DOC status. Monteforte director, Gaetano Tobin, known as Tano, is a great believer in using solely Garganega in his Soave, so the Trebbiano that his growers have is given IGT status. The fruit for this wine is grown on the slopes of vineyards situated next to the Soave zone in the Val d Alpone. The vineyards have excellent south east exposure, with soils of volcanic origin. The grapes are hand harvested, destemmed and crushed and pumped to the press with no sulphur addition. The juice is chilled immediately and naturally settled. Cultured yeasts are added to initiate fermentation, which takes place around 14 C in order to retain freshness and fruit flavours. The wine is d young to preserve fresh fruit character. Clean and very fresh on the nose, with lightly floral notes, especially the characteristic almond blossom perfumes found in the best whites from this area. Soft, fresh apple fruit on the palate, with a zesty finish. Grape varieties: 60% Trebbiano, 40% Garganega Region: Veneto Alcohol: 12% vol Bottle : 75cl Closure: Stelvin 12x75cl. p/ 18.60 1.55
PONTE PIETRA - MERLOT CORVINA These wines are made by Matt Thompson at the Cantina di Monteforte with fruit that is declassified from Soave DOC status. Verona s Ponte Pietra (stone bridge) dates back to Roman times. The vine, however, has been planted on the hills outside of Verona for much longer than this bridge has spanned the Adige River. This fresh, vibrant and easy drinking wine is firmly within this long tradition of Veronese viniculture. The fruit for the Merlot Corvina is grown in vineyards situated next to the Soave zone in the Val d Alpone. The Merlot is grown on the warm, sheltered plains, on clay soils and the Corvina in the foothills on tufaceous basalt soils. Both are in vineyards with excellent exposure to ensure complete ripeness. The grapes are hand harvested, de-stemmed, crushed and pumped to stainless steel tanks purpose-built for fermenting red wine. 25% of the juice is drained from the tank in order to increase the ratio of solids to liquid, which in turn result in a wine with greater colour and flavour. The wine is pumped over the cap every hour in the early stages to increase extraction further. It is left in contact with the skins for 4-5 days, and fermentation takes place at temperatures up to 30 C. Once complete, the wine remain in tank until bottling. The Merlot lends the wine a soft, blackberry voluptuousness, whereas the ripe Corvina adds the characteristic cherry blossom perfume and ripe cherry pie fruit character to the palate and finish. Clean, fresh and well-balanced through to the finish. Grape varieties: 55% Merlot, 45% Corvina Region: Veneto Alcohol: 12% vol Bottle : 75cl Closure: Stelvin 12x75cl. p/ 18.60 1.55
PORTA NOVA - CHARDONNAY Porta Nova was started in 1999 when leading New Zealand winemaker Matt Thompson, set out to produce a range of modern, fruit driven wines from the hills outside Verona. Our aim was to work with growers (rather than buy bulk wine, which is standard among most wines from Verona at this ) to obtain ripe grapes (by reducing yields and picking later) and then, using Matt s expertise, preserve these flavours in the finished wines. The result is a realisation of the potential inherent in Veronese viniculture. The hills outside Verona. Several vineyards in excellent sites where the growers had reduced the crop quite significantly were selected. The grapes are hand harvested, destemmed, crushed and chile on the way to the press with no sulphur addition. The juice is naturally settled, racked and cultured yeasts are added to initiate fermentation which takes place at 12-14 C. Half the wine is fermented in oak, while one third of the blend is put through malolactic fermentation in order to add complexity. Further complexity is derived from ageing on lees for six months. The wine has good colour and a ripe nose that mingles flavours of melons and nectarines with a toasty, biscuity character. It has good weight and richness on the palate, with a lovely purity of flavour, nice balance of oak and very good length. It proves what can be achieved in Verona if yields are contained and the fruit is allowed to achieve full ripeness. Grape varieties: 100% Chardonnay Region: Veneto, Valpantena Alcohol: 13% vol Bottle : 75cl Closure: Stelvin p/ 12.60 2.10
PORTA NOVA - SOAVE Porta Nova was started in 1999 when leading New Zealand winemaker Matt Thompson, set out to produce a range of modern, fruit driven wines from the hills outside Verona. Our aim was to work with growers (rather than buy bulk wine, which is standard among most wines from Verona at this ) to obtain ripe grapes (by reducing yields and picking later) and then, using Matt s expertise, preserve these flavours in the finished wines. The result is a realisation of the potential inherent in Veronese viniculture. The hills outside Verona. Several vineyards in excellent sites where the growers had reduced the crop quite significantly were selected. The grapes are hand harvested, destemmed and crushed and pumped to the press with no sulphur addition. The juice is chilled immediately and naturally settled. Cultured yeasts are added to initiate fermentation, which takes place at 12-14 C in order to retain fruit flavours. The wine remain in tank until bottling to maximise freshness. This wine is light, bright lemon-lime in colour, with clean fresh perfumes of citrus and a touch of blossom. On the palate it is light and fresh, with a zesty, lemon/lime fruit character and a gentle roundness. It has good lively freshness on the finish. Grape varieties: 75% Garganega, 25% Trebbiano di Soave Region: Veneto, Soave Alcohol: 12.5% vol Bottle : 75cl Closure: Stelvin 12x75cl. p/ 20.40 1.70
PORTA NOVA - GARGANEGA Porta Nova was started in 1999 when leading New Zealand winemaker Matt Thompson, set out to produce a range of modern, fruit driven wines from the hills outside Verona. Our aim was to work with growers (rather than buy bulk wine, which is standard among most wines from Verona at this ) to obtain ripe grapes (by reducing yields and picking later) and then, using Matt s expertise, preserve these flavours in the finished wines. The result is a realisation of the potential inherent in Veronese viniculture. Garganega is the grape that gives Soave its character, and these grapes were grown in the hills outside Verona. Several vineyards in excellent sites where the growers had reduced the crop quite significantly to ensure the best possible quality were selected. The grapes are hand harvested, destemmed, crushed and chilled on the way to the press with no sulphur addition. The juice is naturally settled and after racking, cultured yeasts are added to initiate fermentation, which takes place at 12-14 C. These relatively low fermentation temperatures help preserve the fresh fruit character of the grapes. 20% is fermented in large format oak. The wine is held in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks until bottling. Clear, pale straw in colour with a delicately aromatic nose, with perfumes of peaches and honeysuckle. Light to medium bodied on the palate, with an attractive peachy fruit character. Young and fresh, this will appeal to those looking for something new from Italy. Grape varieties: 70% Garganega Region: Veneto, Valpantena and Monteforte d Alpone Alcohol: 12.5% vol Bottle : 75cl Closure: Stelvin 12x75cl. p/ 20.40 1.70
PORTA NOVA - LUGANA Porta Nova was started in 1999 when leading New Zealand winemaker Matt Thompson, set out to produce a range of modern, fruit driven wines from the hills outside Verona. Our aim was to work with growers (rather than buy bulk wine, which is standard among most wines from Verona at this ) to obtain ripe grapes (by reducing yields and picking later) and then, using Matt s expertise, preserve these flavours in the finished wines. The result is a realisation of the potential inherent in Veronese viniculture. The hills outside Verona. Several vineyards in excellent sites where the growers had reduced the crop quite significantly were selected. The grapes are hand harvested, destemmed, crushed and chile on the way to the press with no sulphur addition. The juice naturally settled, is raked and ferment in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks and (2/3) large format oak. Clean, fresh and very fragrant with beautiful balance on the palate between ripe, round fruit and a zesty, mineral freshness. Grape varieties: 100% Lugana Region: Veneto, Valpantena and Monteforte d Alpone Alcohol: 12.5% vol Bottle : 75cl Closure: Cork p/ 22.20 3.70
PORTA NOVA - PINOT GRIGIO Porta Nova was started in 1999 when leading New Zealand winemaker Matt Thompson, set out to produce a range of modern, fruit driven wines from the hills outside Verona. Our aim was to work with growers (rather than buy bulk wine, which is standard among most wines from Verona at this ) to obtain ripe grapes (by reducing yields and picking later) and then, using Matt s expertise, preserve these flavours in the finished wines. The result is a realisation of the potential inherent in Veronese viniculture. The hills outside Verona. Several vineyards in excellent sites where the growers had reduced the crop quite significantly were selected. The grapes are hand harvested, de-stemmed, crushed and chilled on the way to the press with no sulphur addition. The juice is chilled immediately and naturally settled. Cultured yeasts are added to initiate fermentation, which takes place at 12-14 degrees celsius in order to retain fruit flavours. This wine has a purity of fruit rare in a Pinot Grigio from the Veneto. It has a scented pear drop character on the nose, good weight and breadth on the palate and good acid on the finish, which is surprisingly long. Grape varieties: 100% Pinot Grigio Region: Veneto, Monteforte d Alpone Alcohol: 12.5% vol Bottle : 75cl Closure: Stelvin p/ 17.40 2.90
PORTA NOVA - ROSATO Porta Nova was started in 1999 when leading New Zealand winemaker Matt Thompson, set out to produce a range of modern, fruit driven wines from the hills outside Verona. Our aim was to work with growers (rather than buy bulk wine, which is standard among most wines from Verona at this ) to obtain ripe grapes (by reducing yields and picking later) and then, using Matt s expertise, preserve these flavours in the finished wines. The result is a realisation of the potential inherent in Veronese viniculture. Matt selected several vineyards in excellent sites on the hills outside Verona, where the growers had reduced the crop quite significantly. This wine is made from juice drained from the skins of the Valpolicella before fermentation. After macerating on the skins for about 18 hours, the juice was fermented at a relatively low temperature (14 15 C) in order to retain the delicate cherryish perfumes of Corvina. The wine is held in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks until bottling to maximize freshness. This wine is a fragrant rosato of impressive gulpability. A vibrant pink colour, with delicate aromas of cherry blossom, it has enough body to drink with food as well as on its own. Grape varieties: 100% Corvina Region: Veneto, Valpantena Alcohol: 12% vol Bottle : 75cl Closure: Stelvin p/ 10.20 1.70
PORTA NOVA - CORVINA Porta Nova was started in 1999 when leading New Zealand winemaker Matt Thompson, set out to produce a range of modern, fruit driven wines from the hills outside Verona. Our aim was to work with growers (rather than buy bulk wine, which is standard among most wines from Verona at this ) to obtain ripe grapes (by reducing yields and picking later) and then, using Matt s expertise, preserve these flavours in the finished wines. The result is a realisation of the potential inherent in Veronese viniculture. The hills outside Verona. Several vineyards in excellent sites where the growers had reduced the crop quite significantly were selected. The grapes are hand harvested, de-stemmed and crushed and pumped to stainless steel tanks purpose built for fermenting red wine. 25% of the juice is drained from the tank in order to increase the ratio of skins to juice, which in turn resulted in a wine with greater colour and flavour. The wine is pumped over automatically every hour in the early stages to increase extraction further. The wine is left in contact with the skins for seven days, and fermentation took place at up to 30 Celsius. Malolactic fermentation takes place in large oak, in which the wine is aged for a further six months prior to bottling. As a great deal of effort goes into growing and ripening the grapes used to make this wine, the wine is not subject to severe treatments or filtration that ensure stability but strip flavour, colour and character. As a result, it may throw a light but harmless natural deposit in. The wine has very good colour and a ripe, spicy dark berry nose that mingles flavours of blackberries and black pepper. It has good weight and richness on the palate, soft, supple tannins and very good length. It proves what can be achieved in Verona if yields are contained and the fruit is allowed to achieve full ripeness. Grape varieties: 100% Corvina Region: Veneto, Valpantena Alcohol: 12.5% vol Bottle : 75cl Closure: Stelvin 12x75cl. p/ 20.40 1.70
PORTA NOVA - VALPOLICELLA Porta Nova was started in 1999 when leading New Zealand winemaker Matt Thompson, set out to produce a range of modern, fruit driven wines from the hills outside Verona. Our aim was to work with growers (rather than buy bulk wine, which is standard among most wines from Verona at this ) to obtain ripe grapes (by reducing yields and picking later) and then, using Matt s expertise, preserve these flavours in the finished wines. The result is a realisation of the potential inherent in Veronese viniculture. The hills outside Verona. Several vineyards in excellent sites where the growers had reduced the crop quite significantly were selected. The grapes are hand harvested, de-stemmed and crushed and pumped to stainless steel tanks purpose built for fermenting red wine. The must is left in contact with the skins for seven days, and fermentation takes place at up to 30 C. Malolactic fermentation takes place in stainless steel tank in which the wine is held until bottling. It shows lovely depth of colour, with perfumes of fresh black cherries. On the palate the wine is soft and ripe, with a light, youthful freshness which lifts its cherry pie flavours and accentuates its perfume. The palate has good length with a hint of cherrychocolate on the finish. Grape varieties: 70% Corvina, 20% Rondinella, 10% Corvinone Region: Veneto, Valpantena Alcohol: 12.5% vol Bottle : 75cl Closure: Stelvin 12x75cl. p/ 32.40 2.70
PORTA NOVA - VALPOLICELLA SUPERIORE RIPASSO Porta Nova was started in 1999 when leading New Zealand winemaker Matt Thompson, set out to produce a range of modern, fruit driven wines from the hills outside Verona. Our aim was to work with growers (rather than buy bulk wine, which is standard among most wines from Verona at this ) to obtain ripe grapes (by reducing yields and picking later) and then, using Matt s expertise, preserve these flavours in the finished wines. The result is a realisation of the potential inherent in Veronese viniculture. Several vineyards on excellent sites in the hills outside Verona where the growers had reduced the crop quite significantly were selected. This wine is made using a traditional Veronese practice known as ripasso. Traditionally, the young wine was re-fermented on the skins of the Amarone grapes once they had finished fermenting in March. The new, more expensive approach is to ferment the young wine together with dried grapes in the January following the vintage, giving the wine more body and depth. This blend of modern and traditional winemaking produces a wine with a combination of freshness, structure and depth that is fairly unique among Ripasso wines. Following fermentation, the wine is aged for just over a year in a mixture of large oak and small, French oak barrels prior to bottling. Bright ruby in colour, it has perfumes of bitter cherries and a slight smokiness from the oak. On the palate, it is full and rich, with a spicy cherry character balanced by smooth, rounded tannins. Supple and long, with a bitter twist on the finish. Grape varieties: 70% Corvina Veronese, 30% Rondinella Region: Veneto Alcohol: 13.5% vol Bottle : 75cl Closure: Cork p/ 25.80 4.30
PORTA NOVA - AMARONE Porta Nova was started in 1999 when leading New Zealand winemaker Matt Thompson, set out to produce a range of modern, fruit driven wines from the hills outside Verona. Our aim was to work with growers (rather than buy bulk wine, which is standard among most wines from Verona at this ) to obtain ripe grapes (by reducing yields and picking later) and then, using Matt s expertise, preserve these flavours in the finished wines. The result is a realisation of the potential inherent in Veronese viniculture. The hills outside Verona. Several vineyards in excellent sites where the growers had reduced the crop quite significantly were selected. The soil is a mixture of clay and limestone with good drainage. The vineyards are south-facing, which makes them warmer than other parts of Valpolicella. Selected grapes are picked in mid September and left to dry in specially ventilated rooms until the end of January. During this process the grapes loose about 40% of their natural weight. The grapes are destemmed and crushed at the end of January. Fermentation temperature is between 18-22 C with daily periodic pumping over, while the length of maceration is 20 days. This Amarone was matured in oak (a mixture of large botti and French oak barriques) for 18 months, lightly fined with egg-whites and then d. The wine is rich and modern, with an attractive fresh perfume. Aromas of ripe black cherry, plum and hints of fruit cake. On the palate it is full bodied and rich, with cherry, vanillin and coffee flavours. It has well balanced tannins and a long finish. Grape varieties: 70% Corvina Veronese, 25% Rondinella, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon Region: Veneto, Valpantena Alcohol: 15% vol Bottle : 75cl Closure: Cork p/ 96.00 16.00
VULCANIA - GRILLO The Curatolo family has been producing excellent Marsala and quality wine for over a century. Since the 1999 vintage Alberto Antonini has acted as a consultant to the Curatolos and brought with him the modern winemaking skills that allow the varieties to express their maximum potential. The Grillo grapes are grown in the hilly areas in the province of Trapani in Western Sicily. Antonini carefully chose the fruit and used both refrigeration and inert gas to preserve and protect the flavours that accumulated under the hot Sicilian sun, while maintaining on the other hand, a lightness of touch, freshness and zest in the wine. Light, lemony yellow in colour, with greenish lights, the wine has a perfume of ripe peaches and a touch of apricots, giving way to a fresh but nevertheless relatively full-bodied palate. Though modern in style, the clarity of the fruit retains a distinctly Sicilian character. Grape varieties: 90% Grillo, 10% Cataratto Region: Sicily Winemaker: Alberto Antonini Alcohol: 12.5% vol Bottle : 75cl Closure: Cork p/ 15.60 2.60
VULCANIA - INZOLIA The Curatolo family has been producing excellent Marsala and quality wine for over a century. Since the 1999 vintage Alberto Antonini has acted as a consultant to the Curatolos and brought with him the modern winemaking skills that allow the varieties to express their maximum potential. The Inzolia and Grillo grapes for this wine are produced from selected vines grown in the hilly areas of the costal province of Trapani in Western Sicily. The soils here are calcareous and the altitude around 80 metres. The climate is Mediterranean with mild winters and hot summers. Harvest took place at the end of August. The grapes were gently pressed, the must cold settled, and then fermented at 16ºC in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks. The wine was then held in tank until bottling. Alberto uses all the technology available, including refridgeration and inert gas, to preserve the freshness of the fruit and the delicate perfumes of these varieties. Bright, straw yellow in colour with green tints this wine has a spicy, aromatic character on the nose with notes of citrus, melon, white fruits and flowers. These characters follow through on the palate and give way to rich, rounded fruit on the finish. It is refreshing and individual, and is probably the most exciting and convincing expression of this variety around. Though modern in style, the clarity of the fruit retains a distinctly Sicilian character. Grape varieties: 100% Inzolia Region: Sicily Winemaker: Alberto Antonini Alcohol: 12.5% vol Bottle : 75cl Closure: Cork p/ 15.00 2.50
VULCANIA - NERO D AVOLA The Curatolo family has been producing excellent Marsala and quality wine for over a century. Since the 1999 vintage Alberto Antonini has acted as a consultant to the Curatolos and brought with him the modern winemaking skills that allow the varieties to express their maximum potential. The vineyards are located in two different areas, one near Marsala and the other in Central Sicily, at around 420 metres above sea level on clay soils. The grapes from the former region, normally an area regarded as being cool for Nero d Avola, have given vibrancy and an aromatic dimension to the wine, while the latter, a hotter, drier zone, provides the colour, weight and structure. The climate is Mediterranean with mild winters and hot summers. Harvest took place in September. The grapes were destemmed and gently pressed, followed by fermentation in stainless steel vats at controlled temperature. The wine was aged in used French and American oak for 3 months. Ruby coloured wine with aromas of plums, cherries and blueberries. Well balanced on the palate with fruit and spice characters, soft tannins and clean finish. Grape varieties: 100% Nero d Avola Region: Sicily Winemaker: Alberto Antonini Alcohol: 13% vol Bottle : 75cl Closure: Natural Cork p/ 20.40 3.40
VULCANIA - LUSIO NERO D AVOLA The Curatolo family has been producing excellent Marsala and quality wine for over a century. Since the 1999 vintage Alberto Antonini has acted as a consultant to the Curatolos and brought with him the modern winemaking skills that allow the varieties to express their maximum potential. Antonini loves working with the Nero d Avola grape. A native of Sicily, it needs warm sites to ripen fully. The grapes for this wine came from a single vineyard near Agrigento in south central Sicily. Nero d Avola is very similar to Syrah, explains Antonini, Except that it needs more heat. Alberto s influence in the winery serves to accentuate the character of the grapes. He aims to capture as much of the grapes flavour as possible in the finished wine. The must was fermented in stainless steel tanks and then aged in small oak barrels, a small proportion of which were new. The maturation in oak serves to tame the wild fennel character of the Nero d Avola and adds a cedary elegance. The wine was lightly filtered before bottling. Tremendous depth of almost opaque black red colour, the Nero d Avola is intense on the nose, with perfumes of spiced blackberry fruit, with liquorice notes. On the palate, it is rich and powerful, with smoky, black cherry and dark plum fruit characters and robust, ripe tannins. Good length, with a long, smoky finish. Grape varieties: 100% Nero d Avola Region: Sicily Winemaker: Alberto Antonini Alcohol: 13.5% vol Bottle : 75cl Closure: Synthetic Cork p/ 29.70 4.95
VULCANIA - SYRAH LUSIO The Curatolo family has been producing excellent Marsala and quality wine for over a century. Since the 1999 vintage Alberto Antonini has acted as a consultant to the Curatolos and brought with him the modern winemaking skills that allow the varieties to express their maximum potential. The grapes for this wine came from a single vineyard near Agrigento in south central Sicily at an altitude of 650 metres above sea level. The climate here is Mediterranean with mild winters and hot summers. Soils are predominantly clay. Alberto s influence in the winery serves to accentuate the character of the grapes. He aims to capture as much of the grapes flavour as possible in the finished wine. The grapes were gently pressed and the must then fermented in stainless steel tanks at controlled temperatures. The wine was then aged in new French oak barrels for 9 months. The wine was lightly filtered before bottling. This wine is deeply coloured, with aromas of fresh red berries and touches of spice and soft hints of vanilla. Round, fleshy and supple on the palate it has a long, elegant finish. Grape varieties: 100% Syrah Region: Sicily Winemaker: Alberto Antonini Alcohol: 13% vol Bottle : 75cl Closure: Natural Cork p/ 29.70 4.95