2025 Marco Porello, Langhe Rosato DOC, Piemonte, Italy.
The bright, super dry and crisply detailed Marco Porello Rosato is a wonderful version of Italian Rosé with vibrant sour cherry, citrusy ruby grapefruit, tart melon, strawberry and brambly raspberry water, along with fresh mineral, wet stone, snappy herbs and a delicate hint of English rose. Light bodied and pumping acidity make this an excellent Summer choice and great for starter courses to a warm outdoor meal. The beautiful salmon/orange and pale pinkish hue invites you in and the lip smacking palate begs for more sips and just make sure another bottle is ready to go! Made from 100% Nebbiolo, organically grown on calcareous sandy soils, this Langhe Rosato saw a vinification with a soft crushing of the grapes that were macerated for about 6 hours. The alcoholic fermentation was exclusively in steel vats under controlled temperature for about 20 days, and the wine was kept in stainless steel vats to age, about 4 to 6 months, until bottling. The Marco Porello Barolo is their most important wine, and certainly one to look for, but this delightful Nebbiolo Rosé a rewarding surprise and a wine that I will recommend and drink myself!
Marco Porello, as mentioned here at Grapelive.com in prior reviews, has run the winery since 1994, and now has over a 25 year track record and is highly admired for his wines based in the Canale area with most of his family’s vines set in the Roero zone, crafting mostly Barbera, Arneis, which has been the Porello’s signature grape since the 1930s, and Nebbiolo in his cellar, while his seventy plus year old mum still cares for and directs the farming with organic and holistic ideals as well as having a respected connection to the land and its cycles. Marco Porello, the grandson of founder Cesare Porello, is an expert oenologist, and as noted by his importer, was educated first at the local Alba oenological school and then off in the Bordeaux region of France. He also had some time the rival Tuscan region, in Chianti Classico, before returning and taking over the Porello estate, where he has built a respected name for himself with his work with Nebbiolo and Barbera. I’ve been enjoying these Porello was since I first tried them at a Slow Wine show in 2020, and the latest vintages are exceptional, with the Barbera d’Alba and Langhe Nebbiolo being fabulous values.
($22 Est.) 90 Points, grapelive