Tenuta Anfosso - "Poggio Pini" Rossese di Dolceacqua Superiore, 2015
Tenuta Anfosso’s history dates back to 1888, when Giacomo Anfosso planted the family’s first vines in the Poggio Pini vineyard. Today, Alessandro Anfosso and his wife Marisa Perrotti are the family’s third generation of winemakers. They painstakingly cultivate 5 hectares of steep and labour-intensive vineyards all by hand (mechanisation is impossible under such demanding conditions).
Their website recites as such: “Passion and love are required for a land which is hard but also capable of giving great satisfactions, in terms of quality of grapes and wine”. Well said!
For ‘Poggio Pini’ Rossese di Dolceacqua Superiore, the grapes are sourced from the old part of the Pini vineyard. After fermentation, the wine is aged for 12 months in stainless steel vats, followed by 8 months in the bottle before release.
The wine exhibits a ruby to garnet hue, with medium intensity of colour. On the nose, the flavours are pronounced, refined and aromatic. Redcurrant, wild strawberry and juicy red cherry notes alternate with whiffs of rose petals, white pepper, juniper and a touch of dried red berries. These scents are wrapped by balsamic notes mixed with leather and English tea.
On the palate, it’s full in body, yet fragrant and full of energy. In the attack, fresh and dried red fruit notes dance with rose, violet, potpourri, tea leaves, autumn shrubs, leather and asian sweet spices. The flavours progress into balsamic underbrushes which echo a splendid integration between fruity and flowery components.
High in acidity, with a crunchy yet textured mouthfeel. Tannins are medium in level, refined and fine-grained. It’s an elegant wine, with poise and harmony. Pronounced intensity of flavours, but not brash. Medium to long finish. An outstanding wine.