MARCO DE BARTOLI
In 1978, the agronomist Marco De Bartoli succeeded his mother Josephine at the head of Baglio Samperi – an estate that had been growing grapes for the production of Marsala wine for over two centuries – and started “Cantina De Bartoli”.
Initially, the old family property was in decline, but in no time Marco De Bartoli was able to put his vineyards at the centre of a new way of producing wine in Sicily, focusing on quality and following the old virtuous Sicilian vine growing traditions with the use of autochthonous varieties of grapes.
He started producing “Marsala” wine according to the local wine making traditions, using a combination of traditional and innovative methods.
In the process, he gave up the British method of producing “Marsala” (adding alcohol to fortify the wine) and followed the local method according to which wine has to reach at least 15% of alcohol using the “perpetuum” system” that consists in adding regularly every year the new vintage to the old.
To do this, he used the wine aged in barrels he found on the estate to which every year he added his own wine, made from Grillo of Marsala grapes, creating a wine with a high percentage of alcohol, known locally as “stravecchio” (extra old), from which the first “Marsala” wine was made.
His wines include “Vecchio Samperi”, whose ageing process started in 1978. In the mid 1980s he decided to produce also “Marsala” wine “Superiore Semisecco” and “Oro”, fortified with mistelle.
This dream continues thanks to his proud children, Renato, Giuseppina and Sebastiano who with determination refurbished the winery. Their “Marsala” wines include: “Vecchio Samperi 1983”; “Marsala Superiore Oro Riserva 1988”; “Marsala Superiore di vent’anni”; “Josephine Doré”; “Vecchio Samperi perpetuo quarantennale” and “Josephine Rouge”.