Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Dolceacqua; the latter is the better wine. In
theory, Rossese di Campochiesa ought to be
used to make the former wine. According to
Filippo Rondelli, “The RLP rossese used to be
made with Rossese di Campochiesa. It was
never made with Rossese di Dolceacqua, and so
the two wines were very different. With the
modifi cations to the DOC legislation, now
Rossese di Dolceacqua is used by everyone
making either wine, but it's a mistake and one
that fl ies in the face of tradition. That said, even
by using the same variety, the two wines
remain different, mainly because of diverse
microclimates and soils. The RLP wine is a
more neutral product, lightly fruity and thin;
the Dolceacqua version is more intense, salty,
spicy and with greater depth of fruit.”
Soils are all-important when dealing with
Rossese
varieties, which are very good transla-
tors of
terroir
in the glass. In general, they do
best on well-drained, clay-calcareous-sandy
soils, but in Liguria the geological characteris-
tics of the soils change quickly and substan-
tially even over small distances. The local
sgruttu
soil, a marly-clay mix, is the one that
Maurizio Anfosso believes gives the most com-
plex wines. For example, in the Val Verbone the
soils tend to be more calcareous clay but with
plenty of sand and gravel, and so wines from
these
terroirs
tend to be more perfumed and
ready to drink sooner. In the Val Nervia, where
soils are more loamy clay, the wines tend to be
more structured and deeper in hue. The wine is
never dark, but always a bright, clear, red hue,
with at most ruby tinges; black or ink are not
present in the pantheon of rossese colors. Ron-
delli believes the aromas of the wines are all-
important: “Since the wine is light to mid-
weight in structure, the nose becomes
fundamental for it to have success. After all,
we're not going to impress anyone with depth
of color.” Anfosso agrees, adding that “enologi-
cally, the skins break down easily, and the wine
can easily have off odors unless the lees are
stirred often and energetically, allowing for
plenty of oxygen contact. If you don't do that,
you risk losing our wine's pretty fragrance.”
Rossese di Dolceacqua will remind you of
violets, red currants, graphite, and roses, occa-
sionally even strawberries. I believe that the
sine qua non of a good wine is the presence of a
salty-sour component, more reminiscent of red
currant and cranberry than of sour red cher-
ries. Besides a lovely fragrance, the wine is
always blessed with vibrant acids and a dry (not
drying) mouthfeel. It will always be graceful
and charming in its easygoing, light- to
medium-bodied delivery. Almost all Rossese di
Dolceacqua wines are best drunk within two
years of the vintage, though some examples can
age remarkably well, easily improving and last-
ing eight to ten years. In France, few producers
are making great amounts of monovarietal
Tibouren wines, as locals prefer using it in
rosés along with Grenache and Cinsault.
Besides Domaine Sainte Marie (their Paparazzi
Rosé has 40 percent Tibouren), Clos Cibonne
is the French producer that perhaps most
believes in Tibouren, as owner André Roux has
always loved the cultivar and wine; his descen-
dants make two rosés, the Tibouren (with 10
percent Grenache) and the Tibouren Cuvée
Speciale des Vignettes Rosé (made from sixty-
year-old Tibouren vines).
wines to try:
Maccario-Dringberg*** (Posau,
fresher and fruitier; and Luvaira, more earthy
and animal), Ka Manciné*** (Galeae, late har-
vested; and Beragna), Tenuta Anfosso*** (Pog-
gio Pini Superiore, more balsamic; and Luvaira,
fruitier), Terre Bianche*** (the entry-level and
the Bricco Arcagna), Lupi**, Massaretti**
(Cascina Feipù Rossese di Albenga), Rocche
del Gatto** (Rossese di Albenga; made with
both Dolceacqua and Campochiesa), Poggi
dell'Elmo. For Riviera Ligure di Ponente Ross-
ese (di Campochiesa), try: Durin** (Rossese di
Riviera Ligure di Ponente), Rosella Salguato**,
Torre Pernice** (RLP; also the excellent Rosa
dell'Aleramo, an excellent late-harvest, air-
dried combination sweet wine). For a white
wine, try: A Maccia** (U Rosau; a rare example
of Rossese wine made as a white, avoiding skin
contact between must and grape skins).
