2022 K-Volve Rosé, Garofoli - £155 per 6 including duty & VAT
2023 Lagrein Rosé Tradition, Cantina Terlano - £125 per 6 including duty & VAT
It seems that clients are content to drink their way through a lake of anonymous Provençal rosé, if requests are anything to go by. Don’t get me wrong, there are some brilliant Provençal rosé, but there are some fairly ordinary examples too. The rosé category on the other hand is far more diverse than you might imagine, and it is worth broadening your horizons. A rosé doesn’t have to be pale and French to be good.
This morning, I have tasted two outstanding Italian rosé, both entirely different. Each is made from a different grape variety in vastly different regions. Both could easily breathe life into the most restrictive of rosé diets!
The first is from our good friends at Garofoli, the estate responsible for arguably the finest Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi made - Podium. This rosé of theirs is made from the Montepulciano grape variety in the Marche, northern central Italy on the Adriatic coast. This is an exciting wine with terrific refinement – not much has been said about it in the wine press as 2022 was the first vintage. A tiny proportion of stock makes it to the UK which we are pleased to offer here as an Atlas exclusive.
The second is a new favourite of mine, coming from Cantina Terlano in Alto Adige. Terlano is responsible for the finest whites in Italy, as far as I am concerned, mostly produced from Pinot Bianco (we have offered their outstanding Vorberg on numerous occasions, for example) or blends featuring this variety. All their wines are marked by a real sense of energy, finishing with a minerally saline sensation. It doesn’t matter which level of wine you taste, or which variety you try, each has this marked minerally quality, that renders them so more-ish. They are great food wines, and this rosé is no exception.
2022 K-Volve Rosé, Garofoli
£155 per 6 bottle case duty paid including VAT
100% Montepulciano from a limestone terroir in the Mount Conero district. First vintage. 30% femented and aged in old oak.
Forgive the slightly clinical sounding name as this is a very smart rosé. Pale salmon in hue, close to a Provençal rosé in appearance. Made entirely from Montepulciano, the nose captures notes of pink grapefruit, with a subtle hint of herbs. While juicy, the palate is restrained, with gentle berry and citrus nuances, a satiny texture and a striking juicy, zestiness, that gives the palate a sense of really fine tension. Indeed, this rosé has such finesse, and a reverberating zesty fruit with pink grapefruit coming to the fore on the finish once more. This also comes in at 13 degrees so displays no signs of headiness at all. Dry, focused and taut – Garofoli has excelled with this new wine. (SL) Drink now to 2026.
A word on Montepulciano
Montepulciano is grown in various areas of Italy but most notably Abruzzo, Marche, Umbria and Lazio. It is not to be confused with the Tuscan wine, Vino Nobile de Montepulciano, which is made from Sangiovese grown around the hillside town of Montepulciano! The variety is praised for its juicy cherry, plummy fruit and moderate acidity. It can make juicy, early appealing, textural reds, with some growers looking to make something more serious. There are comparatively few notable rosé.
2023 Lagrein Rosé Tradition, Cantina Terlano
£125 per 6 bottle case duty paid including VAT
Boasting a deeper colour than you might expect, this dry rosé from Alto Adige shows incredibly well. The colour reminds me of Tavel – deep but vibrant. Aromatically, it is so fresh, and open, with floral nuanced, juicy berry and peach fruit notes, a hint of aromatic herbs and a mineral quality. The palate is fuller than some rosé, but nothing is heavy here at all, indeed the alcohol comes in at a mere 13 degrees, so the wine remains well-poised. The fruit is so juicy with notes of peach, pomegranate and cranberry, even blood orange. Then as is the case, with nearly every Terlano wine, that salty, mineral tang kicks in to the finish. This is a find, a distinctive rosé with a certain fine texture and sneaky note of concentration and remarkable persistence. How come I haven’t tried this before? Superb. (SL). Drink now to 2026.
A word on Lagrein
Lagrein is a distinctive northern Italian variety grown largely in Trentino-Alto Adige. It can make impressive reds, with dark cherry and bitter chocolate fruit as well as fragrant, juicy rosé.
So, there you go; it is time to broaden your rosé range and to try two distinct examples that each offer considerable value for money, as well as a more diverse range of food pairings, should you so wish, though they are remarkably easy to drink on their own.
Go ahead and manifest a blazing hot summer and let us know of your interest.