"I believe that drinkability is at the center of quality."
Alberto Antonini, Consulting Winemaker, Mandrarossa
A few months before COVID-19 forced our retreat into socially distanced bubbles, I had the pleasure of meeting with renowned winemaking consultant Alberto Antonini. We had never met before, but I certainly didn't need an introduction. For years, Alberto's name had popped up during my wine studies; I would often drink a wine that I enjoyed and discover that he had consulted on its creation.
A native of Tuscany, Alberto has worked with some of Italy’s most celebrated producers, including Frescobaldi, Antinori, and Col d’Orcia, but he’s really the world’s winemaker. For more than 20 years Alberto has consulted for top producers in Italy and beyond, including Argentina, Chile, South Africa, Portugal, Canada, Uruguay, Australia, and Armenia.
I recently reconnected with Alberto on Instagram Live to taste the wines he consults on for Mandrarossa in Sicily. Located in the southwest of Sicily, in the historic town of Menfi, Mandrarossa was founded in 1999 and Alberto has worked with the winemaking team from the beginning. An important part of his work has been devoted to identifying the top estates within Menfi’s micro terroirs to produce Mandrarossa’s premium line of estate-bottled wines.
Watch our chat by clicking the video above, visiting IGTV, or YouTube to learn more about Alberto's fascinating career and winemaking philosophy. Committed to crafting textured wines with drinkability, Alberto never wants to impose his signature on the wines. Instead, his goal is to make wines that reflect their true essence, not the hand of the winemaker.
During our chat, we tasted two wines from the Mandrarossa portfolio.
Mandrarossa Bertolino Soprano Sicilia DOC 2017 (Grillo) $42.99
Alberto said that Grillo is often described as "Sicily's Chardonnay". I've sipped a fair amount of Grillo over the years, and have always enjoyed its fresh and lively nature, but Mandrarossa takes Grillo to the next level. I never knew that Grillo had the capacity for aging and this was my first experience with Grillo that was more than a year old. This Grillo also spent time in concrete, steel, and oak. The end result is a beautifully textured and round wine that is full but not bulky and retains Grillo's vibrant and fresh citrus flavors. There's a delicious hint of salinity in this Grillo that calls to mind Sicily's sultry Mediterranean breezes.
Mandrarossa Terre del Sommacco Sicilia DOC 2016 (Nero d’Avola) $49.99
Nero d'Avola is Sicily's most famous red wine and every winemaker approaches it in a unique way. Alberto's approach does not obscure the freshness and beauty of the grapes. This is an impressively fresh and graceful Nero d'Avola that epitomizes Alberto's commitment to drinkability. Aged in stainless steel, concrete, and oak, it is silky and very approachable without sacrificing complexity. Beautiful red berry and black cherry flavors get extra oomph from hints of herbs and minerality. Gorgeous vino!
