Egesta Anfora Grillo Viola 2020

Egesta Anfora Grillo Viola, orange wine, 100% Grillo, 6 month maceration on the skins, no added sulphites.  This is one of Viola’s signature wines showing the depth of flavour and complexity that Grillo can achieve when used with long maceration.  The wine is full but the tannins are softened after 6 years in bottles.  Deep amber in colour, the nose is candied fruits and spice and subtle citrus notes.  The palate is deep, dry, complex and savoury.  This is for real orange wine lovers, only 1200 bottles approx are made annually, it will age well and pairs very well white fish and rich sauces, I know a great recipe for Monkfish, Potatoes, cooked in cream and saffron, but also strong cheese, seafood, would well with some other Sicilian Classics like Pasta con le Sarde.

Aldo Viola wine hails from the beautiful town of Alcamo in northern Sicily.  The vineyards lie just inland on hillside slopes on various terroir with different aspects and altitudes.

Viola could be called a natural warrior.  He is a 4th generation wine maker working 8 hectares according to organic and biodynamic principles.  He uses little oak in his production, preferring to give primacy to the pure fruit flavours of his grapes.  He works mainly with Grillo and Catarratto for the whites and Syrah for the reds.  

He uses long skin maceration on some of the whites which yield very deep, complex and profound orange wines.  By contrast, his reds are more subtle, lower alcohol than most Sicilian Syrah with a lovely fresh, soft mouthfeel.

Aldo does not fine or filter his wines and uses very little if any sulphur.  The wines are pure and authentic but clean, very rarely with VA or any unusual aromas.  Delicious and easy to enjoy wines.