Pellegrino Marsala Old John Ambra - Caravan Wines & Spirits

Cantine Pellegrino

Pellegrino Marsala Old John Ambra

Style Wine Italy Fortified
Producer Cantine Pellegrino
Origin Sicily (Marsala) + Pantelleria
$94 / btl
6 pack mixed six eligible

Build a mixed six around the bottle. Free Australia-wide delivery from $250.

14 left Ships from Brisbane
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What it tastes like.

This Marsala is an excellent example of Marsala, a fortified wine traditionally produced around the Sicilian city of the same name. It was immensely popular in England in the late 17th century (thanks to the efforts of English trader John Woodhouse), but gradually lost followers until a resurgence in popularity during the last five years. Produced via the 'in perpetuum' process – much like the solera system used to make sherry – Marsala attained DOC status in 1969. The Ambra in it's title refers to it's wonderful rich amber colour and the Superior riserva, is a guarantee that it has been aged for at least four years.

Nose

Caramel, dried apricot, toasted almond, vanilla and orange peel

Palate

Medium-sweet Marsala with amber richness, clean acidity and nutty caramel depth

The house

About Pellegrino.

Sicily (Marsala) + Pantelleria ·Est. 1880

Cantine Pellegrino was founded in 1880 in Marsala on Sicily's west coast by Paolo Pellegrino, a notary and small-scale wine grower. The house has remained family-run for six generations, building its reputation on ageworthy Marsala fortified wines — the historic anchor of the western Sicily wine economy. The current operation extends to dry table wines under Sicilian DOCs (Grillo, Nero d'Avola, Syrah, Zibibbo) and the Passito di Pantelleria from family-owned vineyards on the volcanic island offshore.

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Bottle questions

Before you open it.

A few practical answers for storage, delivery, and choosing the right bottle.

How should I store it before opening?

Keep it somewhere cool, dark, and steady. Wine prefers cellar temperature; spirits are happier away from heat and direct sunlight.

How long will it keep once opened?

Wine changes quickly after opening; spirits and liqueurs generally hold longer if capped tightly and kept out of heat. If it is a special bottle, ask before opening and the team can give product-specific guidance.

Can I ask for a similar bottle?

Yes. Contact Caravan with this bottle name and the occasion; the team can suggest a close match, a safer gift, or a step up or down in price.

How is it packed for delivery?

Orders are packed in bottle-safe cartons. If anything arrives damaged or looks wrong, contact the team with your order number and a photo so they can sort the next step.

What about hot weather shipping?

The team avoids making one-size-fits-all promises around heat and carrier timing. For heat-sensitive or cellar bottles, contact Caravan before ordering and they can advise the safest dispatch window.

Need a specific answer for this bottle? The Caravan team can help with drinking windows, substitutions, and delivery timing.

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Pellegrino Marsala Old John Ambra - Caravan Wines & Spirits
Producer visit

Why Caravan backs Cantine Pellegrino

Sicily (Marsala) + Pantelleria

Paolo Pellegrino founded Cantine Pellegrino in 1880 in Marsala, the port town on Sicily's west coast that gave its name to one of Italy's three classic fortified wines (alongside Madeira-style Marsala in production by 1773 under Englishman John Woodhouse). Paolo's son Carlo joined the venture; Carlo's wife Josephine Despagne — daughter of the Sauternais oenotechnician Oscar Pierre Despagne — brought French winemaking practice into the house and became its first female managing director.

Pellegrino remains family-run six generations on. The Marsala line covers Fine, Superiore, Vergine and Soleras-aged styles in dry, semi-dry and sweet expressions. Beyond Marsala, the house produces dry Sicilian table wines from Grillo, Nero d'Avola, Syrah and Zibibbo, and the Passito di Pantelleria from late-harvest Zibibbo grown on the volcanic island of Pantelleria, where the family owns vineyards. A grappa di Marsala — distilled from spent Marsala lees — closes the digestif end of the range.

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