Shop/Italian Reds/Tenuta Castellaro 'Ypsilon'
Lipari, Aeolian Islands, Italy
Tenuta Castellaro 'Ypsilon' 2021
Tenuta Castellaro
Volcanic Aeolian red — extreme island terroir.
$65.00
750mlVintage may change. If it does, we’ll notify you of any price adjustment before dispatch.
About
From the volcanic Aeolian Islands off Sicily. Mineral, savoury, distinctive. A genuinely unusual Italian red from a singular place.
The vines grow at around 350 metres on Lipari's Castellaro plateau, in ground built from volcanic ash and pumice rather than ordinary topsoil. Aeolian summers run hot and dry, but constant sea wind cools the fruit through the day and carries salt in off the water. Both end up in the glass.
Massimo Lentsch arrived on Lipari by sailboat in 2005 and set about planting dry wines on an island that had only ever made sweet Malvasia. Ypsilon blends Nero d'Avola with Corinto Nero, a rare grape few producers outside Lipari still grow. Alicante fills out the middle of the palate and softens the edges.
Serve it cool rather than at room temperature and let the salinity do its work. It sits well with grilled fish or a plate of hard cheese, plain island food built to sit next to a savoury red.
Structure
Pairs with
Picked on Stef's structure profile.
