Passito 'Forte Rosso' Mesa 2023 - 50cl
"Forte Rosso" is a red wine passito made from Carignano grapes from the Sulcis area, with a soft, warm, and very intense profile. The aromatic spectrum is rich in sensations of red fruit jam, cherries in alcohol, hints of Mediterranean scrub, and various sweet spices. The body is voluminous and substantial, with an enveloping, consistent sip and a pleasant and subtle sugary residue.
The Passito “Forte Rosso” from the Mesa winery is a sweet and fragrant red wine produced in the Sulcis area, in that part of southwestern Sardinia that almost rises above the white sandy hills overlooking Porto Pino. This label is made from pure Carignano grapes, sourced from bush-trained and spur-pruned vines on medium-textured soils characterized by sandy and clayey-limestone nature, rich in skeleton and mineral elements. Given the mild, dry, and breezy climate of the area, the Carignano clusters are left to wither directly on the vine to reach the desired sugar concentration before being taken to the winery to begin the winemaking process. The winery, founded in 2004 by the advertiser Gavino Sanna, has a production that comes from over 70 hectares of vineyards, of which 32 are owned and 40 are rented, and is now part of the Santa Margherita group.
The “Forte Rosso” Passito is produced with carefully selected and hand-harvested grapes at the moment they reach the desired level of withering. The clusters are then taken to the winery to be destemmed and to undergo alcoholic fermentation, which takes place in stainless steel containers for a few weeks. At the end of fermentation, the wine is racked using the natural fall method, into oak barrels where it remains to mature for a few months before being bottled and put on the market.
The Passito “Forte Rosso” from Mesa presents itself with an intense garnet red color. On the nose, aromas of ripe dark and red berry fruit appear, including cherry in spirit, sour cherry, blackberry, and blackcurrant, floral notes of violet and red flowers, spicy hints of licorice, coffee, and cocoa, then shifting to notes of green olive and balsamic nuances. On the palate, it is warm, enveloping, concentrated, and soft, characterized by an unexpected freshness and a subtle sweetness.