Castel del Monte Bombino Nero DOCG: Italy's only DOCG reserved for rosé

First, what DOCG means

Italian wine labels can look like a code, so let me start with the letters. DOC stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata, ‘controlled designation of origin’. DOCG adds one word, Garantita, ‘guaranteed’, and it is the highest level of the Italian system. Each designation has its own rulebook, the disciplinare, which sets the area, the grapes and how the wine is made, and DOCG wines are checked before they are sold. On the neck of a DOCG bottle you will usually find a numbered strip issued for that purpose.

In short: when you read DOCG, you know where the wine comes from and that it follows strict rules. It does not tell you whether you will like it. That part is up to you and your glass.

A DOCG for rosé, and only rosé

Italy has many DOCGs, almost all of them for red or white wines. Castel del Monte Bombino Nero is the only one reserved for rosé alone: there is no red or white version under this name. The designation was created in 2011, and its rules ask for at least 90% Bombino Nero grapes. The same area also has two DOCGs for red Riserva wines, Castel del Monte Nero di Troia Riserva and Castel del Monte Rosso Riserva, but the rosé is the one that stands apart.

Rosé is made from dark grapes. The juice of most dark grapes is pale; the colour sits in the skins. To make a rosé, the juice stays in contact with the skins only for a short time, just long enough to take a little colour and fragrance, and then it is fermented on its own. The result should be fresh and lively, not a light red.

The grape: Bombino Nero

Bombino Nero is a local grape of this part of Puglia, grown for generations on the hills north of Bari and on the Murgia. Its skin gives up colour gently and it keeps a bright acidity, which is why it makes better rosés than big, heavy reds. It is also the grape of our Brut Rosé, a sparkling wine made from 100% Bombino Nero.

Why here: altitude, limestone and cool nights

The designation takes its name from Castel del Monte, the 13th-century octagonal castle of Frederick II that stands on a hill above the Murgia. We see it on the horizon from the masseria, in the countryside of Andria. This is inland Puglia, far from the beaches of the south, and that matters for the wine:

• Altitude: the estate sits at about 340 metres on average, with vineyards between 290 and 350 metres.
• Soil: limestone, the pale rock of the Murgia, which runs right under the vines.
• Cool nights: the difference between day and night temperatures keeps freshness in the grapes.
• Night harvest: we pick at night, by machine, so the grapes reach the cellar cool and within minutes.
• Organic farming: certified organic since 1992, on land that borders the Alta Murgia National Park.

Our Rosato da Bombino Nero

Our Rosato da Bombino Nero is made from 100% Bombino Nero, grown on four hectares facing north-west, at 290 to 295 metres. We harvest it in the first ten days of October, and the wine is 12% alcohol. In the glass it smells of wild strawberry and small red fruits; it is fresh, and it goes well with a whole meal.

Serve it cool, not ice-cold: around 8 to 10 °C is a good guide for a young rosé. Our wine sheet suggests a tiella, the Apulian oven dish of rice, potatoes and mussels, or oily fish such as sardines or mackerel from the grill. It also sits happily between white and red at a mixed table, which is why rosé is often the bottle that keeps everyone at dinner happy.

Where to taste it

The easiest way to understand a wine like this is to taste it where it is made. Our wine and sparkling wine tasting includes a visit to the cellars and five glasses paired with typical products of the area, by booking; I explain what to expect in wine tasting near Castel del Monte. If you would rather read first, the wine's full sheet is in our shop.

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