Schola Sarmenti Masserei

Masserei is a Salento rosé from Schola Sarmenti, made in the heel of Italy's Puglia region, and at 14.5% ABV it sits well above the 12 to 13 percent of a typical pink wine. That alcohol level says a lot about how it drinks. Salento's warm, dry, sun-soaked growing season usually yields fully ripe fruit, and rosato from this area is most often built on Negroamaro, sometimes blended with Malvasia Nera or Primitivo. Expect a deeper salmon-to-cherry colour, ripe red-berry fruit such as strawberry, raspberry and red cherry, and a rounder, more generous body than a pale Provençal-style rosé. The grape blend isn't listed for this bottle, so treat those as the style's usual markers rather than a measured profile. Because of that weight, Masserei suits food better than a light aperitif rosé does. Styles like this usually have soft tannin, moderate acidity and a warm, slightly spicy finish, which lets them stand up to dishes that would flatten a delicate pink. Southern Italian cooking is the obvious fit: orecchiette with sausage and broccoli rabe, grilled octopus, spaghetti with clams, focaccia barese, or a tomato-forward baked pasta. It also handles cured meats, salumi, aged pecorino, grilled pork or chicken with herbs, and spiced dishes where the fruit and a touch of body help tame the heat. Serve it cool rather than ice-cold, around 9 to 11°C (48 to 52°F). A short stay in the fridge and a few minutes on the counter is about right. Colder than that mutes the fruit and makes the alcohol feel sharper at the edges. No decanting is needed, since rosé has no sediment and no real benefit from extended air, though pouring it into a carafe on a warm day helps keep it chilled at the table. A standard white-wine glass with a moderate bowl is a good choice, and a slightly wider one gives the red-fruit aromas more room if you prefer a fuller rosato. This is a drink-now bottle. Rosé of this kind is built for freshness and primary fruit rather than cellaring, and it is generally at its best within a year or two of release. There is no need to hold it. Open it with dinner, or keep it on hand for the grilled and tomato-based food it was made to sit beside.