Marsala Superiore “BIP Benjamin” Riserva DOC 2013 oro dolce

Carlo Pellegrino | Sicily
Carlo Pellegrino & C. S.p.A. | Via Del Fante 39 | IT 91025 Marsala

35000034 · 0,75 l · 26,53 €/l · Price (DE) incl. VAT, excl. Shipping8 units available

Three letters, a whole story: BIP stands for "Benjamin Ingham Palermo". The Englishman came to Sicily in 1806 – not as a tourist, but as an entrepreneur with vision. He followed in the footsteps of John Woodhouse, but surpassed him by far: Ingham built up a trading empire that shipped Marsala all over the world and left a lasting mark on the city. Pellegrino still preserves his archive today – 110 volumes of Sicilian economic history. Pellegrino dedicates its elegant Oro Riserva to this man. Grillo, Catarratto and Inzolia, from sandy coastal soils between Marsala and Petrosino. The fermentation is stopped with an acquavite aged in oak for at least five years – a detail that stacks depth upon depth. Then: more than 48 months in large oak barrels, a further six months in barriques. The 2013 is a wine that has clearly benefited from time.

Intense gold colour with amber reflections in the glass. The nose is ethereal and complex – melon, honey, medlar, a hint of dried apricot. Sweet and creamy on the palate, with a long persistence and a final that smells of poached pears and ripe fruit. With cannoli, cassata – or simply the moment when you realise why Ingham never wanted to return to England. SUPERIORE.DE

"This luscious but balanced Marsala has plenty of dried fig and papaya character. Long, creamy finish with lots of grapefruit freshness that leaves the palate cleaner than many other fortified wines." James Suckling