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Josetta Saffirio Rossese Bianco

Rossese Bianco from Josetta Saffirio is WOTY 2024

Wine Alchemy’s Wine of the Year (WOTY) 2024 goes to Sara Vezza in Piemonte, Italy. This is for the rare white wine Josetta Saffirio, Rossese Bianco, Langhe DOC, 2022.

WA WOTY 2024As is usual, the Wine Alchemy WOTY is inspirational. Exceptional taste is a given. But, in addition, the winning wine must be genuinely sustainable, express terroir and the winegrower’s philosophy, and be available to buy in the UK. Although using rare grape varieties is not a stipulation, this one also fits that bill. And if you imagine this all makes it an expensive proposition, it certainly isn’t the case this time.

Let’s briefly play a word association game between an Italian wine region and its native grapes. For most Italian wine lovers, if you say Langhe, the response is Nebbiolo; some will add Barbera and Dolcetto. Know-it-alls might add Freisa, Grignolino and Pelaverga. All of these are red grape varieties. If you ask about White Langhe instead, some might say Moscato or Arneis. If you say Rare White Langhe, maybe Favourita, Erbaluce, Timorasso, and Nascetta get a mention. But what on earth is Rossese Bianco? Indeed, no one will mention that. Well, perhaps they should.

What is Rossese Bianco?

Rossese Bianco

Rossese Bianco

The story of Rossese Bianco is a confusing tangle. Although the first documented evidence of Rossese Bianco was in 1596, we don’t know which exact variety this refers to. This is because several white grape varieties in the Liguria and Piemonte regions of Northwest Italy are called Rossese. The name probably refers to the grapes’ pinkish hue, which is not an uncommon feature.

To add further complexity, there are also red-berry varieties called Rossese. Most grow principally in western Liguria, but one is also seen across the French border in Provence, known as Tibouren.

Consequently, one idea was that the white Rossese varieties were mutations of the red ones. After all, Pinot Grigio and Pinot Bianco are white mutations of Pinot Nero, so this was not an outlandish suggestion. However, DNA studies prove this to be incorrect. Furthermore, they established that many of the Rossese grape varieties are not related to one another.

In a further twist, DNA results show that one of the white Rossese varieties in Liguria is identical to the Grillo variety of Sicily! Perhaps the Genoese merchants were responsible for that connection, but that’s speculation. Most importantly, none of the Ligurian varieties are related to the Rossese Bianco of Monforte d’Alba!

Hence, this Piemontese Rossese Bianco is unique; it’s the only one the Langhe DOC recognises (it became authorised in 2010) and occupies only a few hectares. In short, we still don’t know what it is related to or how it got there, but at least now we know what it isn’t.

Rossese Renaissance1

Giovanni Manzone, a Barolo producer at Monforte d’Alba, inherited two ancient rows of Rossese Bianco vines. His Father had made sweet wine with them, but the late-ripening white variety had no official recognition or status. The Langhe DOC encouraged its preservation, while subsequent University of Torino research enabled its official registration as a grape variety. In 1982, a small vineyard at the hamlet of Castaletto was planted from the old vine cuttings, from which they make their dry white wine. This was added to in 2011, bringing their holdings to one hectare.

Another Monforte d’Alba producer of Rossese Bianco is Amalia Cascina in Langa. In 2008 and 2011, the company planted one hectare of vines to make their only white wine.

Meanwhile, the Josetta Saffiro winery is also in Castelletto, a neighbour of Manzone. Josetta Saffirio is primarily known for Barolo but has a 0.5-hectare vineyard of old vine Rossese Bianco. This has been used to make their Rossese Bianco wine since 2008, as it was previously rented out.

As we shall see, Rossese Bianco deserves to be more widely grown and known. One notable restriction on its adoption would be for commercial reasons (given the prices that Barolo commands) rather than any lack of innate quality.

One can also speculate why it became almost extinct: it was probably destroyed by phylloxera and not replanted, with winegrowers choosing more straightforward and commercial varieties such as Chardonnay or, given the area, red varieties2.

Josseta Saffirio

Josetta Saffirio

Josetta Saffirio winery

As mentioned above, the Josetta Saffirio winery is best known as an excellent Barolo “Cru” wine source. Giovanni Battista established winegrowing here in 1800. In 1975, the estate passed to the fourth generation, the eponymous Josetta Saffirio, and took her name. When she retired in 1999, the estate passed on to her daughter, Sara Vezza, who retained her mother’s name for the estate. The winery went organic in 2004, and Sara Vezza added some vineyards in the Alta Langhe, plus sparkling wines made under her name. The modern winery dates from 2006 and produces 100,000 bottles annually.

From the outset, Sara Vezza was firmly committed to the environment and sustainability. All activities follow protocols that protect environmental, economic, and social sustainability. Thus, it is certified by SQNPI and Biodiversity Friend.

30% of the estate is woodland, either maintained or replanted with hazelnut, poplar, linden, and oak. Hence, it offers truffles and hazelnuts. Only organic compost enriches the soil, while local fauna and flora are abundant and diverse. Meanwhile, solar power now covers 65% of the estate’s needs.

Their Rossese Bianco vineyard faces south and southeast at 300-400 metres. The soils are typical of Monforte, with strong limestone and sandstone components.

Josetta Saffirio is also part of VITA (VITAcoltura Harmoniosa). Eleven Piemontese wineries are participating in a three-year measurable sustainability project supported by academic research. The project aims to develop solutions that local communities can adopt.

 

The wine

Rossesse  Bianco,  Langhe  DOC,  Piemonte,  Italy.  2022.  13%
Josetta Saffirio terroir

Josetta Saffirio terroir

Technical

As shown on the newly redesigned label, this is a wine in the “Orchid” range with a cork closure.

The wine is 100% Rossese Bianco.  After a dry growing year, the manual grape harvest occurred at the end of September  2002. Then, after a short maceration in the winepress, the alcoholic fermentation and subsequent malolactic fermentation occurred in stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature. The wine matures in large wooden barrels with frequent lees stirring for around nine months.

Tasting

Serve chilled, but don’t overdo it; 10-12 ℃ will do nicely. The wine is light golden in the glass, a little leggy (glycerine rather than alcohol?). Then, fleeting aromas of lemon, quince and white flowers. The Malolactic fermentation shows itself as a rounded fullness on the palate, yet the acidity is still bright and fresh. The balance of alcohol and acidity is in a nervy and focused Chablis style. Then there’s a tangy, savoury undertow, some quince and pear fruit appearing before a mineral finish, more flinty than saline. A final acacia note brings an attractive closure.

Despite using barrels, no overt wood flavours interfere with the wine. It resembles Vermentino in passing, though this Rossese Bianco has more subtlety than salinity.

Incredibly moreish, you’ll soon be calling for a second bottle! While drinking ideally now, this wine also suggests it could develop further nuance and complexity over the next five years, so keep a bottle or two back!

Food suggestions

This wine also stands up to roasted chicken and is an ideal partner with seafood and fish – try swordfish or tuna slathered with pesto. Another recommendation is creamy risotto with asparagus or peas. As for cheese, artisan Wensleydale works well. Alternatively, you could pair it with Roccaverano DOP cheese for local authenticity.

And Finally

UK availability: Vino.com, £20.30

A worthy winner of WOTY 2024, I commend Josetta Saffirio Rossese Bianco to you!

Location map

Sara Vezza S.a.s
Josetta Saffirio Wines
Castelletto, 39
12065 Monforte D’Alba (CN)
Piemonte
Italia

What3words Location

 

Notes

  1. I mention these two other Rossesse Bianco wine producers and Josetta Saffirio in Monforte d’Alba to give some context to the rarity and renaissance of this grape variety. Rossese Bianco is the only white wine these three producers make.
  2. Much of this article includes speculation about the origins and history of Rossese Bianco. As this variety re-establishes, some mysteries will hopefully unravel as new facts emerge.
  3. Thanks to the Consorzio di Tutela Barolo, Barbaresco, Alba, Langhe e Dogliani for background information.

Here are all the previous WOTY winners: 2023, 202220212020, 2019, 2018, 2017 and 2016

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