Caruso & Minini Naturalmente Bio Grillo

Crisp and refreshing on the palate, Caruso & Minini Naturalmente Bio Grillo tastes of tangy grapefruit, lemon, lime and green apple with hints of pear and white peach. These fruit flavours are complemented by a gentle herbaceousness, reminiscent of sage and thyme and by a tang of salinity, adding complexity and depth to the wine’s profile. The wine has a lovely long lime and nectarine finish. The body of the wine is moving towards medium territory partly due to the Grillo grape but also as a result of ageing the wine on its lees. Fermentation was in oak and acacia vats – but these are huge barrels so the oak and acacia influence is very subtle; ageing on the lees was in stainless steel tanks and bottle. Fundamentally Caruso & Minini Naturalmente Bio Grillo is a crisp, fresh wine thanks to a lively level of acidity which is well-balanced with the complexity of aromas and flavours. The chalky cool soils in the western part of Sicily lend themselves to lighter wines with mouth-watering acidity and aromatics. For such quality and for an organic wine to boot, this is really great value – and very drinkable!

Grillo is a Sicilian grape variety well suited to the heat and dryness of the island. Previously used only in fortified Marsala wine, it is now being seen increasingly in still dry white wines like this one. The family-run winery, Caruso & Minini, is certified organic and has been producing wine for four generations. For a red wine from the same producer, try the fruity Caruso & Minini Naturalmente Bio Nero d’Avola.

This makes for a lovely aperitif and is recommended for eating with fish, seafood, chicken, asparagus, pesto- or lemon-flavoured dishes. The body of the wine means that it can handle well fairly rich dishes but nothing too spicy. The producer says “The most refined fish and vegetable-based pastas are the perfect match for this wine. The hallmark dish to paired with Grillo is grilled swordfish. Quite surprising how it can wedge itself in among the flavours of the Sicilian cuisine.”

Serve at: 7 – 10°C

“Grillo vines are the flagship of our varieties. For this wine we have chosen the highest hill in order to exalt its freshness and flavour. We put it into tonneaux to trap its body giving it a delicate note of oak and acacia. Such good care for a wine symbol of western Sicily. Intensity and elegance are the perfect mix of this wine. Wide bouquet with a natural delicacy.”

2021 vintage:

94 points – Luca Maroni’s Best Italian Wines

90 points – Falstaff
“Bright straw yellow color. On the nose, nuances of ripe pear, green apple, white peach and green banana. On the palate juicy and salty, mineral, with good length and citrus notes on the finish.”

88 points – Wine Enthusiast
“Notes of orange peel and pink grapefruit mingle with coastal brush on the nose before a very citrus, saline palate takes over, finishing with a grapefruit pith astringency.”

2022 vintage:
96 points – Luca Maroni’s Best Italian Wines

90 points – Wine Enthusiast
“Stone fruit aromas of white peach and apricot are set against savory notes of petrol and warm pavement on the nose before the palate emphasizes an overall stoniness, both in the presence of still more peach and then soil, crushed rock and warm cement.”