Carole Bouquet Sangue d'Oro Passito di Pantelleria 2022

Drink it now or cellar for up to 30 years. It is recommended to decant it for an hour. Carole Bouquet is a French actress made popular by Luis Buñuel's film That Obscure Object of Desire. Her love for Italy led her to purchase a house with an adjoining vineyard on the beautiful southern island of Pantelleria. Winemaker Donato Lanati leads the vineyard and cellar operations. Produced in limited quantities, Sangue d'Oro Passito di Pantelleria is a dessert wine made with Moscato di Alessandria grapes (locally known as Zibibbo) from a terraced vineyard protected from the wind by a stone wall. Here, the vines thrive in the warm Pantelleria sun and on predominantly volcanic soil rich in clay and limonite. After manual harvesting, the grapes are left to dry on the ground for 2 to 3 weeks before vinification. The term Passito in Italian refers to the drying process, which allows for the production of naturally sweet wines thanks to the concentration of sugars in the grapes. In the glass, the wine reveals a deep golden color and a broad, rich aromatic profile with notes of mango and dried apricot, orange blossom and jasmine, and candied citrus peel against a background of caramel and honey. On the palate, it is generous, velvety, and opulent, yet not heavy, with well-balanced acidity and a distinct minerality. It boasts a long, lingering finish with delicate honeyed notes. It is excellent on its own or with apricot tart or pecan pie.