We’ll be the first to admit that we aren’t always ‘hip’ to certain wine trends. Our focus is on wines that are appealing in some manner, and we have a pretty wide ‘band’ in that respect. There aren’t many categories where we can’t find something compelling. But there are a couple of places where we have a little trouble understanding why the category gained popularity in the first place. We have written a lot about ‘nautral wines’ and how fans of this genre seem perfectly willing to overlook serious flaws in some of the individual wines to participate in the trend.
Although we haven’t been nearly as vocal, we kind of feel the same way about ‘orange wines’. While we have a certain appreciation for the intent of the genre, and can respectfully point to producers like Gravner that pioneered and continue to champion this niche style, there are far too many examples out there where the wines are oxidized and dull.
Given that the world continues to support the genre, it is our task to find those special examples that not only showcase the nuances and style that represent the category, but are focused, fresh, and lifted in the glass as well. You may have noticed we don’t address the subject all that often, but the Caravaglio Malvasia Secca Isola de Salina Occhio Di Terra 2020 is definitely something special because it exhibits the style and nuance of the genre, but does so in an appealing, drinkable wine.
The wine is 100% Malvasia from Salina and Lipari, islands off the Sicilian Coast. On the volcanic island of Salina, organic vineyards sit from 600 to 1,200 feet above sea level in the Malfa district (the highest quality vinegrowing area) with a view of the Mediterranean. Soils are a mix of volcanic sand and rock. This wine is a special selection of the ripest Malvasia grapes from vines that 20 to 30 years of age. The grapes are hand harvested and sorted in the field. Gentle, temperature-controlled maceration occurs for 10 days before pressing. The juice is fermented on indigenous yeasts in stainless steel tanks where it remains for six months.
You have the best of both worlds in the glass. There’s the unique textural aspects and curiously appealing, grainy mouthfeel that is something of a standard in orange wines. But the wine then takes a turn that lifts the whole experience for us. There are aromas of preserved lemons, yellow peach, pineapple, and the unmistakable influence of the sea. The wine itself is dry and a little nutty, but then there is an underlying acidity that keeps everything lifted and fresh. We don’t go looking for orange wine, though we understand it is a category with a following and we’ll taste whatever we are presented. We reject a number of them, but we’d recommend this one as an example of what the category can be, and at a price ($22.98) that makes a lot of sense as well.
Wine Advocate’s Monica Larner conveys the message nicely, “Here’s an exciting discovery. The Caravaglio 2020 Malvasia Occhio di Terra is for sure one of the most interesting wines, from a tasting perspective and an intellectual one, that I discovered on the Aeolian Islands. This Malvasia sees prolonged skin contact in above-ground amphorae. No commercial yeasts are added, and the wine ages on the fine lees for six months, showing us that Malvasia has the fiber and the power to submit to this hands-off winemaking approach. It opens to a medium golden color with lots of ambient light. The aromas are fragrant and rich, covering a wide range, with tea leaf, saffron, apricot and rose. There is also something very Sicilian here that recalls the sweet fruits used in the island’s best desserts… 93 Points.”