Every Saturday, David Brenner of Villasfor2 in Abruzzo recommends a delicious – and top-value - 'Italian Wine of the Week’ for you to enjoy on your Abruzzo vacation.

Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Cerasuolo -
Barone Cornacchia 2005
Casalbordino 2006
Bove 'Roggio Antico' 2007

A triple tipple for you this week - and a confession too. I'm actually not the world's biggest fan of Cerasuolo. It's not that I don't like rose wine - far from it - but if we're talking pink, the one for me that's above all others is Rose de Provence, that magical traditional blend of Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault that I could quaff happily until the cows have come home, had a bath, eaten their supper, watched some TV, been tucked up in bed, told a little story and drifted off into blissful sleep.

Why not Cerasuolo ? Well - until researching this particular tasting, I'd always found Cerasuolo a bit heavy. Rose is a summer wine; light and fragrant and not overly alcoholic. If the best Rose is Riverdance, an average Cerasuolo can be clog dance.

And what is Cerasuolo ? Nothing more elaborate than the juice of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo grapes that's been left in brief contact with the grape skins to impart that characteristic pink tinge. It's then left to get its act together in stainless steel vats and, like pretty well all roses, is then best drunk within a year or so, though - and check out the fuller review of the full-blown red Montepulciano d'Abruzzo for more info - the pink (like the red) can contain a percentage of the sangiovese grape, which can have a surprisingly beneficial affect on the taste and the shelf-life. 

And why are we tasting three wines this week ? Well, though I'm not Cerasuolo's biggest fan, it's Pauline's everyday Italian wine of choice, so it seemed like a good idea to feature her favourite - Dario Bove's 'Roggio Antico' 2007. Then came our recent visit to Casalbordino's Sunday market which took us right past the Casalbordino winery. It seemed silly - negligent even - not to see how their Cerasuolo shaped-up. And then research demanded we balance up these two very moderately-priced wines at around the €2 mark with another at nearly twice that price. Hence the Barone Cornacchia at €3.86.

Is there a notable difference ? Yes there is. Take a look at the picture. On the left is the Baron Cornacchia 2005; in the middle, the Casalbordino 2006; on the right is the Bove 'Roggio Antico' 2007.

You'll immediately notice that the Cornacchia is much paler. The taste is different too. This wine is an 85% Montepulciano/15% Sangiovese blend, (the others are both 100% Montepulciano), and this gives the Cornacchia a lightness and finesse the other two simply don't have. There's a wonderful summery bouquet of crushed strawberries here; a crisp dryness that's perfect on a hot summer day; and a surprisingly lingering finish.

For me, the Casalbordino is a little one-dimensional. A big hit of juicy red berries that's come and gone in an instant. A great wine to swig away at a barbecue, because this'll stand-up to pretty well any food you eat with it and at 12% - the same as the Cornacchia - it won't leave you feeling sandbagged after a few glasses.

The 'Roggio Antico' lies midway between the two. Like the Casalbordino, you've got that characteristic cherry-red colour in the glass. Unlike the Casalbordino, there's a hint of promise in the bouquet, but again you've got that wonderfully refreshing blast of red fruit and cherries that lingers pleasantly on the tongue until you take another sip. A litle stronger this at 12.5%.

My own vote would unhesitatingly go to the Barone Cornacchia 05. I think it's a classy wine, rounded and smoothed by the twin benefits of that 15% Sangiovese and a bit of age. It'll go beautifully with a big bowl of fresh prawns or crab - maybe even lobster if you can run to that - or try it with char-grilled tuna, as pink as this wine in the middle.

Not that you'll be disappointed with either the 'Roggio Antico' 07 or the Casalbordino 06. These are absolutely vice-free wines that I'm sure you'll enjoy - and at around €2, they're both absolute bargains. 

All three wines will drink just perfectly on their own, but do them justice with a good couple of hours in the fridge first.  

Alongside the rose, Barone Cornacchia has an excellent additional line in traditional abruzzese wine. Find out more here. 

At A Glance…

• This week's featured wines: Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Cerasulo
• Barone Cornacchia 2005
• Casolbordino 2006
• Bove 'Roggio Antico' 2007
• Designation: All are DOC
• Grape: The Cornacchia is a 85% Montepulciano/15% Sangiovese blend; the other two are both 100% Montepulciano
• Strength: The Cornacchia and Casalbordino are both 12% vol; the 'Roggio Antico' is 12.5%
• Closure: The Casalbordino and 'Roggio Antico' both have artificial corks; the Cornacchia has a real one !
• These bottles cost: Barone Cornacchia - €3.86; Casalbordino - €2.05; 'Roggio Antico' - €1.99

(For larger images, click on pictures in text)

If you like Italian wine, why not check out last week's 'Everyday Italian Wine' - and bookmark this site for future weekly posts !

Next week: It had to come sooner or later - Grappa. The true spirit of Italy for you to try (with caution !) at home or on your Abruzzo vacation

Abruzzo vacation, Cerasuolo, Everyday Italian Wine

This entry was posted on Saturday, March 22nd, 2008 at 6:36 am and is filed under David's 'Everyday Italian Wine', Eating and Drinking, Vineyards. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.