Rossese is sensitive, delicate and subtle. Its colour is as transparent as contact lenses and lighter than blood. After a few years, it changes to a rust-coloured orange. It ages moderately, oxidises easily and only makes work. It is therefore understandable that there are only just under 80 hectares of it in total. The fact that one of the best red wines in Italy is nevertheless made from it is remarkable and at least needs explaining.
Although this is not easy. The exact reason why Antonio Perrino is able to open up worlds with his Rossese di Dolceacqua is probably something only he knows - and Antonio is not particularly forthcoming on the subject. So let's make a few guesses and hope that a few of them hit the mark. First of all, there is the winemaker himself. His 58th harvest is due in 2019, so we can assume that he knows what he's doing. He is not interested in trends and fashions, he has always simply done what he thinks is right and what he likes. With just two hectares of vines, he does everything by hand. His vineyard is steep and grows on a rock that he himself calls sgruttu, while geologists call it flysch. The sea is close by, as are the mountains, and the thermals from both certainly contribute to the elegance.
Data sheet
- Grape: 100% Rossese
- Plant protection: Sulphur, copper and plant preparations
- Vineyard: Steep single slope above Dolceacqua. Close to the sea. Sandy weathering soils, flysch. Old vines (50 years+) Education system: Alberello;
- Ageing: By hand in boxes with a capacity of 25 kilos
- Fermentation: Spontaneous / wild yeasts, without temperature control
- Ageing: Eighteen-day maceration, 18 months in used wooden barrels
- Filtration: No
- Alcohol content: 13.50% vol
- Closure: Natural cork
- Drinking temperature: 14-16 °C
- Perfect drinking maturity: from now - 2030
- Content and price per liter: 0,75 l/(€43,62/l)
- All Vinonudo listed winegrowers work in their vineyards with compost, organic fertilizer and natural preparations and do not use herbicides, pesticides and artificial fertilizers.
