Dolceaqua: Ancient, Anonymous & Awesome (Long and Incredibly Boring)

The thread title was the theme of the Idlewild Sunday School held on June 9th. There is always lots of learning from these presentations and tastings but this one in particular was a real eye opener. Over the years I have had a couple of Rossese di Dolceaqua but after tasting several, including some with significant age, I am now a believer!

If you don’t know much about the region (I didn’t) here are some interesting facts. Also there is a map below showing the tiny Rossese do Dolceaqua area (#6 on the extreme left).

**Granted DOC status in 1972
**Only DOC in Liguria that is specific to red wine
**Only grape permitted in wines carrying the Dolceaqua designation is Rossese
**Planted throughout parts of Southern France where it is known as Tibouren
**DOC stipulates that vineyards must be between 1000 - 2500 feet elevation (several overlooking the Mediterranean!)
**Wines must be a minimum of 13% alcohol with a minimum of 1 year in bottle, for Superiore status
**Over many years the Hectares planted in Dolceaqua have gone from several thousand to only 50 (123 acres!)
I found the Rossese wines we tasted to be very deceptive, kinda pale in appearance, light to medium body but intensely aromatic and powerful and persistent when tasted. That deceptive quality reminds me of Nebbiolo, no not the entire sensory experience, just how Rossese packs a lot of power in a lighter colored medium body wine. Plus it can age gracefully.
A real bonus for me was that there is also Vermentino and Rosesse Bianco produced in Dolceaqua though because of the DOC ruling it can’t be called Vermentino or Rosesse instead it is simply labeled “Vino Bianco”. Doesn’t matter what you called them the two (actually 3) we tasted were delicious. My notes are brief as I was also interested in the interaction of everyone. Onto the wines:

2016 Antonio Perrino Testalonga Bianco (Vermentino): This started off the evening and it did not disappoint. Fermented on the skins for 7 days this had spiced apple with citrus,almond and clove. Some phenolic notes, mineral, stony impressions and a touch of sage. Nice acidity, medium texture, very nice balance.

2016 Tenuta Anfosso ‘Antea’ Bianco (Rossese Bianco): This wine is from 170 year old vines (not a typo!). Had lovely aromatics of citrus and flowers. Lemon curd, orange oil, acacia flower and hint of mowed grass. Medium body, bracing acidity this was seamless and tasty. Learning, whites from this area are so under the radar.

2015 Ryme Cellars “His” Vermentino: Ryan and Megan Glaab from Ryme Cellars were present and with a skin fermented Testalonga Bianco tasted, this bottle was put in the mix. Interesting contrast to the Italian Vermentino the Ryme was on he skins for about 2 weeks. Stone fruit and floral aroma, the flavors a bit more generous than the Italian with apricot, golden apple, floral and cinnamon stick notes. Phenolics and tannin are present, nicely integrated in the wine. Medium body, good acidity, very tasty and goes with many different foods. This and the Testalonga Bianco were excellent.

2014 Ka Mancine ‘Beragna’: The first Rossese tasted this had cherry, berry nose, flavor of red cherry, cranberry, herbs (a note in several of the reds) along with a long mineral almost saline finish. Medium body, nice acidity and good persistence.

2016 Antonio Perrino Testalonga (Rossese): Raspberry, herbs and stale coffee aroma, flavors of red raspberry, sour cherry, dried fruit and tobacco. The wine had more body than the previous, also a bit more extracted. Strong acidity and grip this wine needs some time to come together.

2017 Maccario-Dringenberg ‘Posau’: Cherry “sweet tart” nose, candy like along with wild herbs and floral notes. Spicy cherry, savory bordering on meaty flavors, smoky herbs and dried fruit. Good acidity, lighter sweeter tannins are present on the finish.

2017 Danilla Pisano ‘Localita Savoia’: Nose of cherry, strawberry and leather. Flavors of sour cherry, wild strawberry herbs and mint. Lighter in body than the previous this had an ethereal presence that was quite nice and satisfying. The sour cherry and savory meaty note reminded me of a high class Burg. Good acidity and tannins clamp down on the finish. Lovely wine would like to see this with some age on it.

2015 Tenuta Anfosso ‘Poggio Pini’: This wine stood out for it fruity herbal tobacco nose and the flavors followed. Raspberry, cherry, black pepper, herbs, spice and earth on a long finish. This wine had impeccable balance, medium body, mouthwatering acidity and a bacon fat note that had me hooked. The sweet tannins on the finish along with the balance will make for a aged beauty down the road

There were a couple of Rossese with some age coming up so we had a palate cleanser and quite a nice one:
2018 Ryme Vermentino “Hers”: Keeping with Vermentino, if you have never had the Ryme “Hers” Vermentino do yourself a favor and try one. Lemon zest, apple, citrus, tropical fruit, white flowers. Flavors follow the nose with golden apple, citrus and tropical flavors with added spicy and floral notes alongside nice minerality. With summer here this is perfect for sipping but also pairs great with a variety of dishes. 11.2% ABV so have two glasses :slight_smile:

The last two Rossese were a treat, both had some age and both were terrific.

1990 Castello Perrinaldo: Not a lot known about this wine as the winery apparently is no longer in business. With the first whiff you got that fresh asphalt, road tar note but also a good dose of cherry, plum and eucalyptus. Flavors were savory, sour cherry, herbs, mint and hints of bacon fat which spread across the palate. Still holding good acidity and sweet tannin the wine kept evolving in the glass but always holding the fresh fruit and structure. Beautiful, especially for a 28 year old example.

1983 Emilio Croesi: The tasting and presentation ended with this wine and luckily we hit the jackpot. Very pale reddish color, aroma of strawberry, green herbs, balsamic. The flavor is what really impressed, forward notes of sour cherry, black current, eucalyptus and a salty mineral note that tied it all together. Clearly this wine had age but did not taste like a 35 year old wine. I was fortunate to get another taste after the tasting and the wine was still energetic and fresh. Fantastic example of aged Rossese!

Needless to say, after this tasting I am now a big fan of Rossese and will be on the hunt to get some… which won’t be easy :slight_smile: Below are a few photos of the tasting.
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Map of Liguria, Dolceaqua di Rossese (#6) borders France on the left
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Vineyard literally looking over the Mediterranean!
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The lineup!
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Ricotta Lugarre from Liguria served with the wine. Yum!
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Looks like a great tasting! I’m a fan of Rossese. Kermit Lynch carries a couple - the Tenuta Anfosso and also one from the Riviera Ligura by Punta Crena. They are definitely two of the better ones found in the States. I am rather fond of the PC 12.5% alcohol Rossese because it is so versatile. Never profound but always very good! Check out this one as well.

'Bout time, Tom…I’ve been wondering where your notes were on this SundaySchool. Looks to be an exceptional tasting and
really wish I could have made it. Another stellar lineup assembled by Thomas again.
Glad the Ryme’s were in there and showed so well.
Rossese is also one of my favorite grapes. They should be planting it all up&down the coast of Calif.
A plot of Rossese planted at Latetia overlooking the Pacific would be ideal. Alas, notta agonna happen under Qupe now.
I just love the bright cherry character Rossese shows when it’s young. But it’s not a grape that I’d have thought to be
a candidate for ageing. Know where Thomas dredged up those two oldies??
Thanks for posting the TN’s, Tom. These wines need to be appreciated more. Italy has much more to offer
than Barolo & Chianti…way more!!
Tom

Right, Paul. K-L has a very nice portfolios of Ligurian wines, maybe the best in the USofA.
Tom

nice!! I’m very partial to Tenuta Selvadolce’s Rosso Se… (Rossese)

Great post, Tom - thanks for sharing!

Thanks Paul, it was a super tasting. Thanks for the tip on Punta Crena Rossese, will hunt some down. I Recently had a sparkling wine from them (can’t recall which) that was damn tasty.

Tom

Hey Tom, it was an excellent tasting and presentation. We missed you for sure. That bright structured cherry fruit ensures these wines can age and improve for many years.

I asked about where the 90 and 83 were purchased and was told “private auction”.

Hope to see you at a “Religion Class” soon. Let me know in advance when you are coming.

Tom

One of my favorite rosé wines every year is the Clos Cibonne from Provence, made from the Tibouren grape that’s identical to Rossese di Dolceacqua as noted in the original post.

Thank you for the report of what sounds like a wonderful tasting! I love the Rossese wine and it’s a pity that so little of it is made. As a side remark in an article he wrote about Rossese, Walter Speller once wondered why Pinot Noir is planted at all in Italy when there is Rossese. And indeed it would be interesting to experiment with this grape also in other regions, with other terroirs besides Dolceacqua…

By the way: the right spelling is Dolceacqua: the c is missing everywhere in your original post and even on the cover page in one of the pictures.

Thanks for that info Ken. I bet that the Clos Cibonne is one lively rosé and will definitely try one soon.

Tom

Hi Gilberto, it was a wonderful and informative tasting. I agree it is a shame that so little Rossese from Dolceacqua is made and availability is a problem.

I apologize for the spelling of Dolceacqua. I noticed the correct spelling on the map, unfortunately after I had posted the thread.

Tom

Aside from very enjoyable wines, Dolceacqua is also a very nice place to visit, the setting for several Monet paintings. An easy drive from the coast close to the France/Italy border, about 15 minutes north of Ventimiglia.

The Clos Cibonne “Cuvée Tradition” (that’s the one I usually get and that I like the best) is 90% Tibouren and 10% Grenache, and is quite different from most rosé. It’s aged on the lees in old foudre and allowed to develop a flor yeast on top of the wine, then bottled about a year later than most rosé from a vintage. The 2017 is in wine shops now and it should not be too hard to find. On the expensive side for rosé, around $28-32 depending on where you buy it, but I think it’s worth it.