94pts Wine Enthusist

As you dive deeper into Marsala and get a feel for the nuances expressed by the different styles and ages you encounter, it starts to feel a little bit like working with a good tailor. Each bottle has a purpose and a fit for an occasion. The Florio Vintage line offers a capsule collection, and the 2006 is your morning suit, your stroller. Appropriate for every day, but still makes you feel like a star.

93pts James Suckling

This has a yeasty and nutty character with notes of toasted almonds, dried oranges and caramel. Medium- to full-bodied, dry and creamy on the palate with a reserved, oxidative character and nut shell and saline undertones in the finish. Matured in oak casks for 16 years. Drink or hold.

Winemaker Notes

Golden in color with hints of roasted peanuts, cereals and spices. Long tannins on the palate provide a sense of elegant sapidity, excellent as an aperitif or served during a meal.

Winery Notes

Premium Marsala Wine, from Marsala, Italy. Florio represents an Italian icon — from pioneering this full-flavored type of fortified wine in the 1800s to consistently producing only the highest quality Marsala. You can enjoy Italy’s #1 Marsala in so many ways, with a versatility distinct from any other wine or spirit. Savor Florio as a premium Italian flavor in food and dessert dishes, cocktails, or on its own in a neat style. Salute!

The Duca di Salaparuta Group, gathered together by the Reina family, consists of three historic wine brands (Duca di Salaparuta, Corvo, and Florio) and today constitutes the largest private wine group in Sicily. Founded in 1833 by Vincenzo Florio, the Florio Winery in Marsala looks out towards the bright sea of western, or “occidental,” Sicily. Made from the Trapani area, Grillo is a vine rich in history with characteristics that have given it the lead role in Marsala production. Marsala has been produced for more than 200 years, a famous Italian fortified wine named after the Sicilian city it belongs to. The birth of Marsala dates back to the late 1700s when John Woodhouse, a famous English merchant, arrived on the island and was "conquered" by wine, bringing back 60 casks. To keep the wine good over the course of his journey, he added brandy, and thus, Marsala was born. A consequence of the Continental Blockade in 1807, an embargo against British trade by Napoleon Bonaparte, the Marsala trade gained favor, and many English traders landed in Sicily to produce the famous wine. Vincenzo Florio himself founded his cellar in 1833, which over the years has become a predominant reference for the production of Marsala.

Currently, the Florio cellars house around 80% of Italy's production of the real Marsala, the basis of which starts almost exclusively from the Grillo grape. In the Trapani area, located on the coastline of western Sicily, are vineyards set in the sunny countryside chosen for their hillside position near the sea. After careful selection of the bunches in the field, the grapes arrive in the cellar where they are fermented in concrete tanks. At the end of fermentation, the fortification — or as Florio calls it, the "falling in love" — between alcohol and wine takes place. Using micro-oxygenation techniques, The Florio Winery contains varied kinds of oak that add personality and color to the maturing Marsala. Unexpected and original, it’s space, time, and oxygen that breathe life into the rich complexity of Florio wines.