Exploring Italy’s 2017 Rosatos

“Italy offers an amazing range of rosé wines, the permutations of which are like those of no other country in the world,” writes Ian D’Agata in his recent article for vinous Exploring Italy’s 2017 Rosatos . “There are areas of Italy in which Rosato production is an integral part of tradition and history, and so it is these areas that almost always are the top sources for Italy’s best pink wines,” he continues. Get to know Italy through rosé tinted glasses with a case-full of top 2017 Rosatos reviewed by Ian D’Agata.

Attilio Contini

Valle del Tirso Nieddera Rosé 2017

Delectable Wine
9.1

Medium pink-red. High-pitched, perfumed aromas of red cherry and plum, with a fresh grapefruit quality and a touch of peach. Deep and juicy, with precise red fruit flavors enlivened by harmonious acidity. Finishes long and suave, with impeccable balance, showcasing lingering red fruit and spice notes. Lots of flavor and only 11.5% alcohol. 100% Nieddera. (Ian D'Agata, Vinous, June 2018)
— 6 years ago

Fattoria La Valentina

Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo Montepulciano Rosé 2017

Delectable Wine
9.1

Bright red. Vibrant sour red cherry, citrus peel, floral and anise scents boast good clarity and offer a spicy nuance. Clean and fresh on entry, then fleshier in the middle, but surprisingly lean and taut on the back end, offering juicy, sweet and sour orange and strawberry flavors. Finishes long and racy, with lingering spiciness. There’s just a trace of dilution in the middle or my score would have been even higher. (Ian D'Agata, Vinous, June 2018)
— 6 years ago

Giovanna Tantini

Bardolino Chiaretto Rosé Blend 2017

Delectable Wine

Bright pale pink. Clean, fresh aromas of dried lemon, flowers, herbs and orange peel. Fleshy but also juicy, offering floral, citrus and redcurrant flavors. The saline, penetrating finish repeats the floral note offering noteworthy acid-fruit balance and outstanding length. A smashingly good Bardolino Chiaretto. (Ian D'Agata, Vinous, June 2018) — 6 years ago

Ioppa

Rusin Colline Novaresi Nebbiolo Rosé 2017

Delectable Wine
9.1

Bright orange-tinged pink. Pear, strawberry and gingery spices on the captivating nose. Then soft, open and accessible, with lovely expressiveness of red apples, sour red cherries and delicate spices. Finishes rich, dense and juicy offering quite a fruity, round mouthful of Rosato. (Ian D'Agata, Vinous, June 2018)
— 6 years ago

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Bonavita

Terre Siciliane Rosato 2017

Delectable Wine
9.1

Deep pink. Sexy, aromatic nose of redcurrant, red cherry, rhubarb and white flowers. Then very spicy, with precise floral and saline nuances to the fruit-driven flavors. Finishes with excellent clarity and cut and a savory quality. Made from 10 to 80 year old vines of Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccio, and Nocera grown at 250-300 meters above sea level. (Ian D'Agata, Vinous, June 2018)
— 6 years ago

Tormaresca

Calafuria Salento Rosé Negroamaro 2017

Delectable Wine
9.1

Very pale pink. Big ample nose and palate with aromas and flavors of red berries, quinine and orange peel. Chewy and tactile, offering lovely balance and a hint of extra sugar on the back end, but this works. The color is rather atypical for a Salento Rosato, but I guess it does echo the pale pink wines of Provence that are all the rage nowadays. (Ian D'Agata, Vinous, June 2018) — 6 years ago

Le Pianelle

Al Posto Dei Fiori Coste della Sesia Rosato 2017

Delectable Wine
9.1

Dark pink. Intense, spicy aromas of white flowers, redcurrant and herbs, with a violet top note. Juicy and penetrating, offering a smorgasbord of red fruit flavors and a hint of bitter orange peel, complicated by pepper nuances typical of the Vespolina variety. Multilayered and precise, the finish offers very good grip, repeating violet and red berry notes, and outstanding persistence. A blend of Nebbiolo, Vespolina and Croatina. (Ian D'Agata, Vinous, June 2018)
— 6 years ago

Torre dei Beati

Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo Rosé 2017

Delectable Wine
9.1

Bright pale red. Herbs and flinty red cherry on the nose and in the mouth. There’s a building savory, earthy quality on the long saline finish. A rather meaty Rosato in the typical style of Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo. This also strikes me as one of the better Cearsuolo d’Abruzzos from this estate in some time. (Ian D'Agata, Vinous, June 2018) — 6 years ago

Tenuta delle Terre Nere

Etna Rosato Nerello Mascalese Nerello Cappuccio 2017

Delectable Wine
9.1

Pale onion-peel pink. Delicately fruity and floral aromas of jasmine, honyesuckle, redcurrant, gooseberry and minerals. Bright and crisp, this is a paragon of balance and delicacy. Lovely stuff. 100% Nerello Mascalese. (Ian D'Agata, Vinous, June 2018) — 6 years ago

Proprieta Sperino

Rosa del Rosa Coste della Sesia Nebbiolo Rosé 2017

Delectable Wine
9.2

Deep pink. Delicately spicy red berry, mineral and floral aromas and flavors are bright and deep. Finishes very long and complex, with a silky mouthfeel. Made with Nebbiolo and Vespolina, this outstanding Rosato strikes me as being one of Italy’s best, if not the best, Rosato wines of the 2017 vintage. Well done. (Ian D'Agata, Vinous, June 2018) — 6 years ago