Caravaglio, Malvasia Secca di Tricoli, “Infatata”

For me and my SommSelect colleagues, the arrival of a new vintage of Caravaglio Malvasia is as eagerly anticipated as a visit from Santa Claus. We are all avid fans of “island” white wines, whether the island in question is Santorini, the Canaries, or in this case, Salina, off the northeast coast of Sicily.

Nino Caravaglio’s “Infatata” is a mouthwatering volcanic-island white that I would most definitely place on my desert-island shortlist: Crafted from the citrusy, aromatic Malvasia Bianca variety, and grown in a magnificent single vineyard that scales the slopes of an ancient crater, this is a direct-to-the-veins infusion of Mediterranean sun, sea, and utter contentment. Whenever I encounter a new vintage of this wine, I’m reminded that the term terroir refers to more than just soil: It encapsulates not just the dirt (in this case a dark, ashy, volcanic mass) but the “total natural environment” of that vineyard. Do I taste a hint of the oversized capers that are grown more widely than grapevines on Salina? I think I do. Do I get a hint of Mediterranean sea air in the wine? You bet I do. Oh, and can this full-body sensory experience still be mine for less than $30? I think you know the answer to that one. The imagery here may say “Summer,” but we crave this perfume, this fruit, this food-friendly freshness all year round. Want to obliterate the Winter doldrums? This is the wine!

Although Nino Caravaglio “officially” founded his cantina in 1992, his family has cultivated vines for centuries on the island of Salina, part of the archipelago of seven volcanic islands (others include Lipari and Stromboli) off Sicily’s northeast coast. Steep-sloped and sparsely populated, with whitewashed villages sitting at the base of giant, vine-draped craters, this is one of a few spots where vines were never attacked by phylloxera (volcanic/sandy terroirs proved resistant to the louse, which ravaged Europe at the end of the 19th century). The most famous Aeolian wines are sweet, dried-grape nectars from Malvasia, which are labeled Malvasia delle Lipari DOC regardless of which island the grapes come from. Delicious, salty dry whites (like this one, labeled “Malvasia Secca”) are also made from Malvasia, along with reds from a trove of different grapes.

Caravaglio’s 37 acres of vineyards have been Certified Organic almost since the winery’s creation. The island’s arid climate and cleansing breezes make Caravaglio’s commitment to natural farming that much easier; mold and disease resistance are not big issues here, and the exceedingly good health and cleanliness of the fruit enables Caravaglio to keep added sulfur to the barest minimum. This bottling, aptly named “Infatata” (“enchanted”), includes an image on its label of a single, triangle-shaped vineyard, called ‘Tricoli,’ which climbs up the side of an ancient volcano. The grapes from this site are hand-harvested and sorted in the vineyard, then fermented on indigenous yeasts in stainless steel tanks.

As always, the 2019 spent just three months resting in tank before bottling, and soon after it was shipped out to the wider world. This edition is explosive, citrusy, saline, and full of wet-stone minerality, hinting at everything from Spanish Albariño to French Muscadet to the similarly delicious Malvasias of the Canary Islands. Malvasia has a more floral, tropical aromatic profile and a slightly waxy texture reminiscent of some northern Rhône whites, and this Salina-grown interpretation brings all of that to the table along with a pronounced sea-air salinity and electrifying freshness. In the glass, it’s a deep yellow-gold, with aromas of orange blossom, acacia honey, white peach, preserved lemon, green herbs, and caper brine. Serve it at 45-50 degrees in all-purpose white wine stems and pair it with just about any seafood preparation you can imagine. I always suggest a Sicilian-style sole piccata with this wine and I see no reason to mess with perfection. This is as good as it gets! Enjoy!

Caravaglio, Malvasia Secca di Tricoli, “Infatata” For Sale

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