Tenute Rubino - Saturnino Rosato, 2018
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.
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.