“Summer afternoon—summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.”
It’s hard to argue with Henry James on that one. When I close my eyes and think of the perfect summer afternoon, I’m outside, with people I like, and with whom the conversation is always easy, with happy sprints and lulls that mirror the carefree and casual flow of the day (As well as the flow from the wine bottle!)
And with summer wine, there will always be rosé. The unofficial start of rosé season for us seems to take place around when Eric Asimov releases his recommended list of rosés that capture a wide spectrum of pinks, from deep magenta to barely-there peach fuzz. With Alpine drinking on the brain, we were hoping to see a few high altitude recommendations on his recent list but alas none appeared, and Alexandra and I set off on our own in search of Alpine rosé.
The vast majority of Alpine rosé that appeared during our search came from Northern Italy in the Piedmont and Alto Adige regions. These wines were produced predominantly from Nebbiolo and Lagrein with a splash of Barbera and Dolcetto here and there. I was surprised to see from online searches how much rosé is produced in Switzerland, with Pinot Noir driving many of those wines and followed by Gamay and Merlot, but sadly we weren't able to get a hold of any Swiss bottles. If you have any tips for US-based stockists, let us know!
The Tasting Notes
Barbacan - Alpi Retiche Rosato 2019
Vineyard Location: Piedmont
Why We Picked It: Nebbiolo! The crown prince of high-end Italian wine, this is the grape that brings us Barolo and Barbaresco. The thought of this grape producing an easy drinking rosé seemed somewhat improbable, and so we had to try it.
Purchased From: Eataly (NYC)
For us, this bottle was the extreme counterpoint to super dainty Provencal rosés. It came barreling out of the glass with a musty, earthy bouquet – think of your grandma’s old garden shed opened for the first time after the winter – and then hit us with tastes of leather and red fruit. Easy to navigate tannins and good acidity followed. It was a big hit with our burgers.
Reading more about the Barbacan vineyard, we learned that their wines are low-intervention, meaning that the fermentation is “spontaneous” and there are no added sulfites. This might be what contributed to that evocative dusty essence that we noticed.
Now, I wouldn’t classify this as a summer glugger in the way that we typically think of rosé, but it did the trick with a meaty dish from the grill, and you could drink it year round. Endless summer.
Le Due Rosé, Filippo Gallino - 2020
Vineyard Location: Piedmont
Why We Picked It: Also Nebbiolo but this one appeared much lighter in color. We were curious to compare this with the Barbacan.
Purchased From: Astor Wines (NYC)
This one was our favorite! It has the freshness that we’re accustomed to in most French rosé but it also brings some gentle structure and tannins that give it depth. This structure worked beautifully with the florals and red fruit that we got on the palette without overwhelming it. It was delicious.
I also thought I detected something savory in the glass – not saline or herbs but an earthy richness. After reading about the winemaker, I discovered that in addition to producing excellent wine, they are known as one of the top hazelnut growers in Italy. Could that be it? Either way, we’ll be drinking this again on a fabulously sunny day, hopefully with a slice of hazelnut cake in hand.
Nusserhof - Rosato Lagrein Kretzer 2019
Vineyard Location: Alto-Adige
Why We Picked It: Lagrein is a native Alpine grape that we haven’t had on its own, and this bottle seemed like a good way to try a purely “Alpine” style of rosé given that it is also made by Nuesserhof, the traditional vineyard that we profiled in our Schiava newsletter.
Purchased From: Eataly (NYC)
We’re not going to spend too much time here because ultimately this one was a flop for us, and we don’t want to write at length about something that we feel didn’t work. But briefly, everything about the wine felt flat – the bouquet and taste were almost nonexistent apart from some sporatatic cranberry notes. It really didn’t drink like a rosé and I would like to go back to this vineyard again for a pure red wine Lagrein to get a better sense for what that grape can really do.
The verdict:
I realize that the stereotype of rosé drinking centers around Southern France and the Mediterranean coastlines, but in reality rosé is made everywhere that red wine is. It is as at home with a mountainside picnic as it is on the beach, and the right bottle is a lovely pairing for summer mountain dishes that lean into artichokes, Swiss Chard, and freshwater fish. You’ll find us enjoying the Le Due and Barbacan all summer and beyond.