Leone de Castris - Five Roses - 75th Anniversary, 2018
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.
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!