PALAMA Arcangelo Rosato

 

Well, I could go on and on about the aromas, the flavors, etc. etc. but the bottom line is that, in this case as in few others, you just have to taste it. You really do. Briefly then….
Arcangelo is a rose made from Negroamaro, indigenous to Puglia, the “heel of the boot.” Start there. We tasted this bottle at a meeting with the importer about 3 months ago. There was no question the we had to bring it to the shop. Unbelievable. As the evolution and sophistication of rose progresses, you might have thought you had tried every incarnation of rose with Malbec, or even sparkling Malbec Rose. Think, and I say this with confidence, again. This 100% Negroamaro Rosato from Puglia is, and I hazard to use this term but in this case, it fits, mind blowing.
The label tells us that “In a land where the sun shines an average of 320 days per year, the grapes of Salento have thick skins, and ripen slowly in the intense heat. The fruit yields rich, succulent flavors, beautifully captured in this award winning Rosato. Bright, intense fruits mingle with aromas of citrus, wild strawberry and dark chocolate.”
The Palama family has been making wine since 1936 on their small estate in Puglia. The highly regarded copper red soil yields a deep purple-black version of this ancient varietal, Negroamaro. Winemaker Nini Palama handcrafts this wine in honor of his father and mentor, Arcangelo “the man who taught me everything.”
This bottle has recieved the stamp of approval from Small Vineyards:

About Small Vineyards

At Small Vineyards, we search every corner of the Mediterranean for the best small production wines being made today. Why? Because we believe—after tasting thousands of wines—that the very best consistently come from small estates. If you think about it, it’s a lot easier to make a great meal for 5 people than for 500, and winemaking is no different. That is why we tell our clients up front—with our Small Vineyards gold seal on the bottle—that you’re holding a small batch wine from a family-owned estate, that you will be proud to serve. In working with small, family-owned estates we are not just ensuring that the wine is fantastic, but we are working to protect a way of life that has been preserved through generations.