Italy’s 2015 Rosatos: Full-Bodied and Luscious 

This year’s Rosatos are also much bigger, sweeter and
rounder than usual. This is a definite plus for those who enjoy bold, luscious,
full-throttle rosés, but the flip side is that many of Italy’s 2015 Rosatos also
carry high sugar and low acidity levels, and show less obvious site or regional
character than in other, cooler, vintages.<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1461075755459-Rosato+Collage+article+dagata.jpg"> 

Generally speaking, all of the 2015 wines I tasted for this report
were bigger, softer and sweeter than their 2014 counterparts – in some case,
much too sweet – and while total acidity levels weren’t a concern in most of what
I tasted, low acidity did pose
problems for producers, many of whom decided against making a Rosato because of
this (a case in point being the usually outstanding Rosato wines from northern
Piedmont’s La Prevostura and Colombera &amp; Garella estates, which were not
made). &nbsp;Another characteristic of the
2015 Rosato wines is that they are a touch paler in color overall, also owing
to the hot summer weather. Fearing excessive sugar accumulation in the grapes
or untimely rainfall, many estates harvested grapes meant for Rosato production
earlier than usual, and thus did not allow for the usual build-up of anthocyanins
in the skins.

That said, those producers who have shown a knack with
Rosato over the years have done extremely well again this time, even if the
wines are fleshier and bolder style than usual. Alberto Longo, Cataldi Madonna,
Ippolito 1845, Pratello, Rosa del Golfo, Tiberio and Valentini are just some of
the names that shone this year. And the many Franciacorta Rosé bubblies I tried
in recent months were also, for the most part, remarkably good.

<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1461073489191-vineyards+of+Cottanera+whose+Rosato+is+reviewed+in+the+article.JPG"> The vineyards of Cottanera in&nbsp;Sicily To learn more about Italy’s diverse Rosato wines and their
very different characteristics, I urge you to refer to my long and hopefully
helpful introduction to last year’s article <a target="_blank" href="http://vinous.com/articles/looking-at-italy-through-rose-tinted-glasses-cerasuolo-rosato-ramato-and-chiaretto-jun-2015">Looking at Italy Through Rosé-Tinted
Glasses: Cerasuolo, Rosato, Ramato and Chiaretto</a>.

Please note that at publication time, the 2015 Rosatos of
some producers were not yet bottled or available to taste, so I will try to
include these wines in my upcoming articles on specific regions of Italy. The
current article, incidentally, also includes some late-released 2014 Rosatos

You Might Also Enjoy<a target="_blank" href="http://vinous.com/articles/looking-at-italy-through-rose-tinted-glasses-cerasuolo-rosato-ramato-and-chiaretto-jun-2015">Looking at Italy Through Rosé-Tinted Glasses: Cerasuolo, Rosato, Ramato and Chiaretto</a>, Ian D'Agata, June 2015 <a target="_blank" href="http://vinous.com/articles/the-rose-roundup-of-2015-apr-2015">The Rosé Roundup of 2015</a>, Josh Raynolds, April 2015-- Ian D’Agata

Content

Engage

Vinous

Social