2013 Guttarolo ‘Violet’ Rosato

Price: $23  Region: Puglia < ItalyGrapes: PrimitivoVineyard/Cellar Stats: Organic farming, karst soil, 400m elevation, fermented in stainless steel, no SO2 addedWinemaker: Cristiano Guttarolo Far from the plains of Puglia which often produce hot, flabby wines, here vines sit on a plateau of fossilized limestone 400 meters above sea level. It is cooler than usual in the daytime thanks to a stiff wind from the sea, while the site’s elevation ensures the wide range of temperatures between day and night that allows the grapes to ripen fully while retaining freshness.  The wines are clearly Pugliese, full of wild, sun-drenched fruit, but they have a balance and minerality often missing in the region’s wines. Vineyard work is excellent, organic and done entirely by hand, and Cristiano avoids the use of additives entirely. He makes this rosato from a second picking of Primitivo grapes.  It was a particularly long harvest so he left the grapes on vine to continue to grow and ripen. Ferment