I didn’t go crazy trying to hunt down something with maximum S-potential, nor did I go out of my way to come up with something smart and snappy. Instead, I opted for a wine I’d tasted and enjoyed recently that just happened to include a leading S or two.
Coste della Sesia Rosato “Rosa del Rosa,” Proprietà Sperino 2007The Coste della Sesia – literally, Slopes of the Sesia – is a relatively obscure DOC region, nestled alongside Lessona and near Ghemme and Gattinara, in the northeastern corner of Piemonte. The name comes from the river Sesia, a tributary of the Po, which finds its source in the glaciers of Monte Rosa at the Swiss/Italian border.
Winegrower Paolo de Marchi, of Tuscany's Isole e Olena fame, came to the region a few years back, seeking to return to his family’s original roots. Along with his son Luca, he established a new wine estate, Proprietà Sperino. This is their third vintage of “Rosa del Rosa” – a saignée of Nebbiolo, Croatina and Vespolina – to have been released commercially in the US.
The leafy backdrop in my garden studio makes the wine look a bit darker than it actually is. Nonetheless, it’s far from pale. Great color extraction hints at the grip to come. Notes of cranberry, orange peel, citrus confit, raspberry and red licorice all come to mind on the nose and follow through in the mouth. At once completely dry, bracing in acidity, generous in texture and boldly fruity, it’s really a pleasure to drink and delivers a wide range of food matching possibilities. Simply superb with a Monday night dinner of turkey burgers and farm fresh salad. $18. 13% alcohol. Cork. Importer: Petit Pois, Moorestown, NJ.
If you'd like to test your Italian, here's some info about the DOC discipline for Coste della Sesia. And if you're up for more reading, feel free to check out my write-ups of a few other wines from Coste della Sesia and Lessona.
