Cantine Menhir D'Alesio

Sometimes we're lucky enough to sample a gem, including this delicious dessert wine from Cantine Menhir. This Cantine Menhir D'Alesio is made from the Aleatico grape, a grape grown almost exclusively on Elba and, very occasionally, in the northern part of Salento. It's in this northern part of Salento that we find the vineyards for these Aleatico grapes. The beautiful vineyards are planted facing the sun to maximize their sunshine hours and benefit from all the factors that help them absorb their sugars. Moreover, the grapes are planted at an altitude of 200 meters.

Only the best grapes are good enough

The plants are planted as classic bush vines. At perfect ripeness—which, in these cases, only occurs when the grapes have dried on the vines—the dried grapes are harvested by hand. A strict selection process is used to determine which grapes are suitable for pressing and which are not. The grapes are transported in small crates to the winery for pressing. After vinification, the wine matures in the bottle for another 12 months, resulting in a stunning final result.

A dessert wine that will make you passionate

Pouring this dessert wine, we were immediately impressed by its deep, dark red color. A rather unusual color for a dessert wine. With our noses in the glass, we were immediately captivated by the delightful aromas that emerged. Beautiful scents of flowers, spices, cinnamon, and ripe cherries. These translate into a pleasantly sweet dessert wine with a subtle, fresh finish. The delicious nuances of sweet cherries combined with a hint of dark chocolate and a touch of blackcurrant acidity make this dessert wine a true sensation. This Cantine Menhir D'Alesio pairs wonderfully with blue cheeses, almond desserts, and marzipan.