Rosato 'Five Roses' Leone de Castris 2025
"Five Roses" is a historic and well-known label in the world. It was produced for the first time in 1943 and was the first rosé wine in Italy to be bottled, becoming an important reference point in winemaking. It is characterized by a soft, pleasant, fresh, and fruity profile, enriched with hints of strawberries, cherries, berries, and fresh flowers.
The Apulian wine "Five Roses" by Leone de Castris was the first Italian Rosato to be bottled and marketed in Italy, in 1943. It was in that year that General Charles Poletti, commissioner for the supply of Allied forces in Apulia, requested a large supply of wine, provided that the name of the product was American. Thus, the origin of the name of this label is revealed, which today presents itself with a blend of Negroamaro and Malvasia Nera that, year after year, consistently achieves interesting scores in both Italian and foreign guides. Fruity aromas lead to a fresh and mineral sip, flowing without any flaw.
This Rosato "Five Roses" is born from a blend in which, alongside one of the main red grape varieties grown within the Apulian regional borders, Negroamaro, we find 10% of Malvasia Nera. The vines of these two varieties have an average age of 35 years, and grow with the Apulian bush training system in a subsoil characterized by particularly sandy soils. The must undergo a brief skin maceration, followed by static decantation. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel containers at controlled temperature. Maturation occurs for several months in steel, until the wine is ready to be bottled by the Leone de Castris winery.
The "Five Roses" is a Rosato that presents itself to the visual examination with a coral pink color, very bright in the glass. The aromas that envelop the nose tell a precise and punctual story, immediately recognizable thanks to the mainly fruity and floral scents. On the palate, it is light-bodied, fresh, and easy-drinking, with a sip where, alongside a fruity taste that perfectly aligns with the notes already found in the olfactory examination, a pleasant savory vein is felt. A historic bottle that opened the doors to the production of rosé wines in Italy, with which the Leone de Castris winery has established itself as a reference point in the national wine scene.