The Southern Italian region of Puglia hosts some of the best Italian rosati. Here’s a selection of 5 rosé from Puglia that I tried (and loved) this summer
During my summer retreat to my birthplace, Puglia (often referred to as Apulia by English speakers), I searched for the best rosé wines in Southern Italy. It was a fruitful quest. A splendid aglianico rosé was my wine of the month for July. I also found a number of other wonderful Puglian rosé, a selection of which I will present in this article. Forget about Provencal rosé (sorry my French friends!), I’m going to present you some rosato (rosé in Italian) with real kick!
Here’s the list of wines I will review:
- Girofle by Severino Garofano: spicy, complex, with floral and Mediterranean nuances
- Kreos by Castello Monaci: juicy, succulent, peachy
- Cerasa by Michele Calò: structured, with some oak maturation and kick-your-ass spiciness
- Saturnino by Tenute Rubino: fresh, juicy and balanced with lovely Mediterranean shrub aromas
- Five Roses 75° Anniversario by Leone de Castris: Elegant and mineral, closer to the Provencal style, but with more spiciness
The rosé revolution
The Pink Wine Revolution has hit the ground. Over the past few years, rosé wine sales have been surging (often by double digits). Rosé seems to have a natural allure for social media, and has become a favourite drink for Millennials. I have a feeling we will drink more and more rosé wines in the future and not just in summer.
Apart from marketing considerations, I do believe rosé deserves a place in the wine lovers’ world. The style has experienced a steady increase in quality. Today connoisseurs and wine critics are not afraid to grant the status of “serious wine” to the best rosé wines around.
Rosé is incredibly food friendly. It can pair well with a number of different dishes. For example, salad, fish, tomato-based pasta and pizza. It is also good with even sturdier foods such as meat and – why not? – steak!
The rampart popularity of rosé wines has also contributed to the creation of several different sub-styles. Now dynamic winemakers understand that Provence is not the only direction to follow. As a result, today there is a lot of experimentation and creativity.
Rosé from Puglia
Rosé wines from Southern Italy have always been unsung heroes – especially outside Italy. Puglia in particular has a great reputation for its rosato. Among the Italian regions with the highest production share of rosé, Puglia grows more than 20 grape varieties destined for its pink wines.
Geographically, Puglia is the “heel” of the Italian boot. Extending 400 km north to south, the region sits in the south-east corner of Italy. Its climate is Mediterranean, with hot summer temperatures only partially mitigated by sea breezes. Rosé is produced virtually throughout Puglia. However, two districts account for the lion’s share:
- The undulating plains near Bari encompass various appellations such as Castel del Monte DOC, Gioia del Colle DOC and Barletta DOC. These rosati focus on negroamaro, primitivo, montepulciano, malvasia nera and bombino nero
- The scorchingly hot Salento area contains rosé appellations (Salice Salentino DOC and Salento IGT for the most part) which focus on the negroamaro grape variety
What kind of rosé you can expect to drink in Puglia? Rosé from Puglia usually have terrific body and intense fruity notes. Aromas verge more on the red fruit than citrus (though this is by no means an absolute rule). These flavours are frequently traversed by a mouthwatering saline minerality. They also appear much darker (rich salmon, light ruby hues) than, let’s say, pale Provencal rosé – a clear indicator of the juiciness that will be found on the palate! A rosé from Puglia perfectly pairs with the local cuisine. A tomato salad, creamy burrata or fresh seafood and fish caught from the Adriatic sea match these wines splendidly.
Negroamaro: a perfect grape for rosé
Arguably the best rosé wines from Puglia are made from the negroamaro grape. Negroamaro (along with primitivo), is the most quintessential local variety from Puglia. Thought to be Greek in origin, this grape variety is perhaps more popular for its medium to full bodied, ripe-flavoured reds. However, negroamaro is actually a very adaptable grape, therefore its wines can vary from sleek and light to full and sturdy. Due to its versatility, negroamaro is also vinified as a rosé or a white. Negroamaro’s natural propensity as a rosé is also reflected in the wines chosen here. All five rosé reviewed in this article are made from negroamaro.
The best negroamaro rosati eschew residual sugar and unclean aromas. When properly vinified, these delicious wines feature a good acidity with a pleasant iodine minerality. They display rich flavours of red fruit (strawberry, wild red cherry), a ripe citrus undertone, wrapped in a beautiful spicy edginess.
The wines
I’ll stop now with my blathering about the virtues of rosé to give space to the real protagonists of my article. Here’s my personal rosé flight from Puglia!
Severino Garofano - Girofle Rosato, 2017
Country: Italy
Region/appellation: Puglia - Salento IGT
Wine style: Dry rosé - Rich and Fruity
Grape(s): Negroamaro
Average price: £12
Severino Garofano is one of the famed Italian winemakers that brought the negroamaro grape to the fore. Originally from Irpinia (in Campania), Severino moved to Puglia in 1955. He soon became a point of reference for the local viticulture. He created (and made famous) the local cooperative in Copertino, a little town a few kilometres from Lecce.
In the 1990s, Severino Garofano founded his own winery in Lecce. Always a great supporter of negroamaro, his creations focused on reds and rosé wines from this grape variety. Severino passed away in 2018, leaving the family business to his heirs Renata and Stefano.
The name “Girofle” comes from “clou de girofle”, the French name for clove. This aromatic spice – with its penetrating, warm and sometimes bitter flavours – is actually a wonderful analogy for the character of this fragrant rosé.
Tasting notes
(tasted on: 09-Jul-2019)
In the glass, the wine has a bright strawberry hue, almost light ruby, with a medium intensity. To the nose, this rosé has a good concentration and complexity. It opens up with crunchy red fruit notes (strawberry, red currant, red cherry) with a hint of pink grapefruit and orange skin. A truly lovely floral component (red roses and lilies) hits the nose, mingling with the scents of Mediterranean spices – sage, thyme, majorana. A reminiscence of salty, almost seaweed-like minerality completes the fragrant aromatic profile.
On the palate, the wine features a medium body with a lovely linear acidity. Crunchy red fruit notes perfectly combine with a lively citrus edge. A mix of seaweed and flinty saltiness lingers in the mid-palate, beautifully dissolving into a zesty finish. Pleasant nuances of bitter orange and chinotto citrus lace with mediterranean spices. Balanced, with great refinement and elegance. Good intensity with a lovely medium+ concentration and length in the finish.
Wine and other Stories rating: 9.0/10
Castello Monaci - Kreos Rosato, 2018
Country: Italy
Region/appellation: Puglia - Salento IGT
Wine style: Dry rosé - Rich and Fruity
Grape(s): Negroamaro
Average price: £14
The story of Castello Monaci began in the XVI century, when some Basilian monks built their place of worship between the towns of San Pancrazio and Salice Salentino. This place was later bought by a string of local and foreign noble families. These included the Parry Graniger from Burgundy (who planted chardonnay and pinot noir in the area) and the Provenzano Family, with the current owner being Mrs. Memmo.
Today the estate is surrounded by 3,000 olive trees and 200 hectares dedicated to viticulture. Cellars are carved into the local tuff stone, hosting wine-making facilities and barrels for maturation. Within the estate, there is also a museum (Museo Merum) which is dedicated to wine history, and focused on the local grape varieties of Puglia.
Castello Monaci grows the famous grapes varieties of Puglia: primitivo, negroamaro and malvasia nera above all. The names of the estate’s wines names echo Greek mythology, in an attempt to connect the present with the glorious past of Magna Grecia.
Kreos is the only rose wine produced by the winery. Its name is a reference to the myth of Eos, the Greek divinity of the dawn. Homer called Eos, the “rosy-fingered” goddess, due to the colour of the sky during sunbreak. A clear hint to the colour of this wine.
Tasting notes
(tasted on: 12-Jul-2019)
This rosé exhibits a rich orange-ruby hue, brilliant and pale in intensity. To the nose, the wine manifests a medium to pronounced intensity of flavours. The fruity aromas are very juicy and succulent. The ripe attack is accompanied by yellow and red peach notes and serenaded by touches of strawberry and red cherry. Around the edges, there are hints of grapefruit and mediterranean shrubs (sage, rosemary, balsamic herbs). Lovely floral notes of violet, lilies, jasmine freshen the nose. Aromatic, perfumed and juicy.
To the palate, this rosé is medium in body with good intensity of flavour and focus. A peachy ripeness makes this wine inviting in its flavours. Bursting notes of red fruit mingle with grapefruit, lime zest and floral nuances (white blossoms, rose, lilies). A lovely crisp iodine minerality lingers in the mid-palate, leading to a finish of Mediterranean herbs and almond. Overall, very floral and fruity with a great balance. Its bright acidity cuts nicely through the ripeness of fruit, conferring a lively accent. A wonderful rosé.
Wine and other Stories rating: 8.9/10
Michele Calò - Cerasa Rosato, 2018
Country: Italy
Region/appellation: Puglia - Salento IGT
Wine style: Dry rosé - Rich and Fruity
Grape(s): Negroamaro
Average price: £16
Michele Calò is one of the most respected interpreters of the wine scene in Salento, Puglia. Like many of his generation, Michele emigrated to Milan in the 1950s. A few decades later, he and his sons (Giovanni and Fernando) determinedly came back to Puglia to make wine. The Calò family combines tradition and innovation in their winery. Their wine-making facilities are quite simple but the family is open to modernity.
Michele Calò and his sons are based in Tuglie, deep in the Salento region, a few kilometres from the Ionian sea. There they grow the local grape varieties negroamaro, malvasia nera, primitivo and verdeca.
The Calò winery offers two interpretations of rosato: Mjère (I haven’t tried yet, but it’s definitely on my wine wishlist!) and Cerasa. Cerasa means “cherry” in the local dialect, a clear reference to the bright coral-like colour of this wine. The rosé is made entirely with negroamaro using the traditional “lacrima” (meaning “tear” in Italian) system. The grapes are macerated for 16 to 18 hours. Skin and must is then racked off. Only the free-run juice (the liquid’s best part) is destined for the production of Cerasa. After fermentation, 20% of the wine is matured in small French oak barrels. The remaining 80% only see steel vats.
Tasting notes
(tasted on: 03-Aug-2019)
This rosé’s colour is just beautiful. Rich coral and strawberry hues are brilliant and medium in intensity. To the nose, it’s quite complex, with a concentration somewhere in between medium+ and pronounced. There is a stratification of flavours, from the ripe red fruit aromas to the marked peppery notes and mediterranean shrubs, and even a pinch of blood orange. Rich and crispy notes of red cherry, raspberry and red currant magnificently alternate with sage, majorana, black pepper, bay and grapefruit zest. Framed by hints of toast and sweet spiciness – red spices, cloves, and a subtle suggestion of cedar box. Some flowery nuances (primrose, lilies) add even more complexity. A lovely nose, complex yet integrated.
To the palate, the rosé is at the same time punchy and fresh. More expressive on the palate than on the nose, it shows a remarkable complexity and concentration. The wine has a medium to full body and a great spiciness throughout its alluring aromatic profile. Rich primary flavours perfectly integrate with secondary aromas from wood. Crunchy and ripe red fruit notes (wild red cherry, strawberry, raspberry) mix with a delicate toastiness in the attack. Gradually a great spiciness is unveiled. Fragrances of black pepper, red spices, thyme, sage, wild herbs, blood orange zest explode in the palate. An exuberant richness, yet preserving class and balance. In the mid-palate you can also appreciate a hint of saline minerality and tannic presence that perfectly harmonises with the other components. A splendid long finish underlines the spicy and crispy aromatic character of this buoyant rosé. A great rosé with loads of personality!
Wine and other Stories rating: 9.1/10
Tenute Rubino - Saturnino Rosato, 2018
Country: Italy
Region/appellation: Puglia - Brindisi DOC
Wine style: Dry rosé - Rich and Fruity
Grape(s): Negroamaro
Average price: £13
Tommaso Rubino was the man to start the viticultural project in the 1980s. Through a long series of acquisitions, Rubino bought a considerable amount of land around Brindisi, in the Salento district of Puglia.
Today, Rubino’s son Luigi and his wife Romina Leopardi lead the family company. Luigi is an entrepreneur with an MBA on his resume and applies that business vision to the wine. Luigi’s aim is to promote the native local grape varieties. The name of Tenute Rubino is probably most strongly connected with the susumaniello grape. Their “Oltreme” is conceivably the best expression of this variety in Puglia.
Saturnino is a rosé produced from 100% negroamaro labelled as Brindisi DOC. It’s a fresh and fragrant rosé, only matured for a few months in stainless steel before being released.
Tasting notes
(tasted on: 18-Aug-2019)
In the glass, the colour is bright salmon pink. To the nose, this rosé opens up with a medium intensity of flavours. It’s fresh and lively. At first you catch red fruit notes (strawberry, pomegranate, red plums, rhubarb), then suggestions of sweet grapefruit and mediterranean herbs such as sage and majorana. Lovely flowery notes of rose and cherry blossom add a delicate dimension. If you get a chance to warm up the glass a little, the negroamaro spiciness also unfolds. The Mediterranean shrubs become more evident, combining with orange zest and red spices.
On the palate, the body of the wine is a tad more than medium. Great freshness and juiciness traverse the palate like a bolt of liveliness. Crunchy red fruit prevails but you can still sense echoes of citrus and peaches. The aromatic profile is wrapped by a lovely spiciness, fusing red spices with Mediterranean shrubs. Although this spiciness is subtle in the attack, it reaffirms itself in a crescendo of intensity, stretching towards a lingering finish, revealing an interesting granite minerality.
Overall the wine is very balanced and focused, showing a great harmony and grace. A fresh acidity is in near perfect symmetry with the fruity flavours. Very good indeed.
Wine and other Stories rating: 8.8/10
Leone de Castris - Five Roses - 75th Anniversary, 2018
Country: Italy
Region/appellation: Puglia - Salento IGT
Wine style: Dry rosé - Rich and Fruity
Grape(s): 90% Negroamaro, 10% Malvasia Nera
Average price: £15
Leone de Castris is today one of the biggest names in Puglia’s wine scene. Located in the countryside just outside the little town of Salice Salentino, the company has a long and glorious past. In 1665, Duke Oronzo, Earl of Lemos and nephew of the Spanish Viceroy of Italy, created the first wine cellar.
In the 1920s, Piero and Lisetta Leone de Castris took the reins of the family’s wine business. They immediately set their sights on the international market, exporting to the United States, Germany and France. In fact, Leone de Castris was the first Italian company to export a rosé to the USA.
“Cinque Rose” (Five Roses in Italian) is the name of a popular “contrada” (district) in the town of Salice Salentino. The place lended its name to this wine. According to the local folklore, couples living in the area always have had five children! Even the de Castris family is said to have produced five offsprings for multiple generations. Five Roses was created in 1943 and since then has remained Leone de Castris’ most renowned wine.
Tasting notes
(tasted on: 11-Aug-2019)
In the glass, this rosato has a brilliant salmon hue which is pale in intensity. To the nose, it opens up elegantly with a great balance. Displaying a medium+ level of concentration, subtle red fruit notes (strawberry, rhubarb, currant) harmonise with scents of grapefruit and lemon zest. A lovely flowery edge (lilies, roses and white blossoms) combines with suggestions of Mediterranean shrubs, such as sage, rosemary and dill. In particular, the fragrant scent of wild rose is captivating, merging the perfume of the flower and the pungency of the stalk. Faint echoes of a lovely iodine minerality can also be sensed.
On the palate, this rosé is medium in body. A zesty and lemony attack testifies a prevalence of citrus over red fruit – with hints of grapefruit, lime and lemon peel. A refreshing saline minerality wraps subtle notes of red fruit and Mediterranean herbs that echo in the nose. Refreshing, crispy, with great balance and a mineral finish. Very elegant, this rosé gives a nod to the Provencal style but still preserves its native territorial character!
Wine and other Stories rating: 8.8/10
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