A Pilsner, Mozart, and Monet
by Dustin Soiseth
2024 Valle d’Itria Rosato “Le Rotaie”
Italy | Puglia
One of the more unique wines in our portfolio, Gianni Carparelli’s rosato is made—like all I Pástini wines—from a variety native to Puglia, in southern Italy. In this case it’s the red grape Susumaniello, which is as fun to say as this wine is to drink. It’s bright and tart, with raspberry and peach notes and a distinct mineral streak. The effect is like drinking a great pilsner—brisk and refreshing, with a subtle fruitiness and just a touch of palate-cleansing bitterness.
2024 Bandol Rosé
France | Provence
Writing about the latest vintage of Reynald Delille’s Bandol rosé is a bit like writing about Mozart or Monet. What is there to say that hasn’t already been said more eloquently by someone else? I could tell you that the color is the gauzy pink of the sunset clouds reflected in one of Monet’s ponds at Giverny, or that in the glass you’ll find the crystalline architecture of a Mozart sonata, but the fact of the matter is that the wine just tastes great, with a minerality and a savory herbal bite that is the hallmark of this benchmark domaine.