Rossese is sensitive, filigree, subtle and has a body like a tubercular intellectual of the 19th century. Its color is as transparent as contact lenses and brighter than blood, after a few years it changes to a rust -colored orange. He ages miserably, oxidizes too quickly and only does work. It is understandable that there are only almost 80 ha of it. It is at least in need of explanation that one of the - if not the best, then at least the best, then most elegant - Italian red wines of Italy.
The 80 hectares of vineyards, which was allegedly still at 600-700 ha shortly after the war, is exclusively in the steep Hägen Westliguria, near the border with France. The sea is always in sight, but Rossese may not be otherwise, the sea and its climate. He likes alpine, or rather, subalpine. Everything that is over 600 meters high makes him dizzy. It feels comfortable between 400 and 599 meters and is this criterion fulfilled and the soil then also a well-permeable lime-sand mixture, it becomes really exciting. Then you can gradually immerse yourself in a world that combines salt and stones together and also add roses, cranberries, strawberries and Mediterranean herbs at good moments. The tannins are generally soft, the acid is not. But it is also not uncomfortable, but exactly to the extent that she gives the wines their very own kick on the way. Anyone who thinks of good pinot in good time does not have to be ashamed.
Rossese may have been planted by the Greeks. Or maybe from the Etruscans. In this regard, one is not quite sure. And in order to complicate the matter, a few traffic lights found a few years ago that Rossese shares his DNA with the Provencal grape variety Tibours. As a result, it could also have immigrated from France.
The knowledge of the historical followers of the Rossese does not seem to be quite as shaky. Andrea Doria, the legendary Genoese captain, after whom Italy's version of Titanic (the same fate) was named in later years, motivated his troop, Pope Paul III, according to his own words, sweetened his retirement and Napoleon sent a few barrels of it into his preferred Parisian tavern. Nowadays they have bunkered a few copies of them again.
Rossese is Tibours, but Rossese is not necessarily Rossese. The diva mentioned above is Rossese di Dolceacqua, but there is also the Rossese di Campochiesa, which, however, both morphologically and sensory differenceshas and cannot keep up with Rossese di Dolceacqua. Then there is also a white version, Rossese Bianco (the white red), a mutation and a nice oxymoron, of which we unfortunately have no idea how it tastes.
If you want to drink really good - the best - Rossese, you should try Antonio Perrino's interpretation. Rossese di Dolceacqua is not a one-man band, but Antonio sets standards on which all other Ligurian winegrowers have so far worked through. He has 60 years of experience in the sometimes steepest locations in Liguria in the bones and you can taste that. Its rossese has salt & stones, stones & salt and in between pepper, thyme, red berries, a lively but extremely fine and filigree texture, drinking flow and an incredible length.