Let’s face it, sparkling wine is meant to be fun. We pop the cork when we’re celebrating something — even if it’s the minor celebration of another work-week gone by. The problem I had until recently is that the more affordable bubblies are the ones that would give me headaches — the very evening I’d sip them. So I convinced myself that spending big bucks on sparkling wine, even if just for a minor weekday victory, was what I had to do to enjoy myself. Well this study in sparkling wine has taught me more than just how Champagne and Prosecco is made; it’s taught me that well-crafted sparkles can be affordable, you just have to find the right one. Rotari — thank you for making “the right one(s)”…
About the Wine: Rotari Brut Rosé Sparkling Wine is made from a combination of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes sourced from the Dolomites region of Trentino, Italy. Grapes were hand picked and sorted and fermented separately in stainless steel tanks. The base wines were then combined and went through secondary fermentation in bottle, in accordance with metodo classico.
*Rotari makes this sparkling wine in the metodo classico. Read more about the traditional method of making sparkling wine: Pop the Cork on Sparkling Wine.)*
12.5% ABV
Flavor Profile: Pop the cork and let the unctuous fumes of yeast and pill capsules penetrate the nostrils as you listen to the snap crackle and pop as the wine fizzes around the neck — already a sparkling wine that entices the senses. On the pour the Rotari Brut Rosé is a light peach-pink, but settles into the glass as a much more sandier shade of peach, bringing to mind the glittering sand during a beachside sunset scene.
Initial aromas are of watermelon, strawberry lemonade, and a soft, daisy-like perfume. On the palate, this rosé is quite dry and almost savory at first, with a nut-like quality. The fruit flavors come next and are as the nose lead you to believe. Yet take those watermelons, strawberries, and even that lemonade, and wrap them all up in a yeast-based pastry. Still savory, still dry, but oh so flavorsome.
With the finish comes a bit of funk. Perhaps that pastry was left in the oven too long — the fruits come forward in their dried form and the after-breath is filled with that luxurious aroma of a mature champagne.
More Info: I received the Rotari Brut Rosé Sparkling Wine as a sample for review. (Cheers Megan!) Retail: $20. For more information about Rotari, their wines, and to purchase wines directly, please visit the Rotari Trento DOC website.
BriscoeBites officially accepts samples as well as conducts on-site and online interviews. Want to have your wine, winery or tasting room featured? Please visit the Sample Policy page where you can contact me directly. Cheers!
