Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo is an
Italian DOC classification of a
rosé
A rosé () is a type of wine that incorporates some of the wine color, color from the grape skins, but not enough to qualify it as a red wine. It may be the oldest known type of wine, as it is the most straightforward to make with the Macerati ...
() style wine made from the
Montepulciano grape in Italy's
Abruzzo
Abruzzo (, ; ; , ''Abbrìzze'' or ''Abbrèzze'' ; ), historically also known as Abruzzi, is a Regions of Italy, region of Southern Italy with an area of 10,763 square km (4,156 sq mi) and a population of 1.3 million. It is divided into four ...
wine region.
The name () relates to the deep color the wine obtains from even very brief
skin-contact with the highly pigmented skins of the Montepulciano grapes.
History
In Abruzzo, ''cerasuolo'' has always referred to the rosé style of wine made in the region. It has been produced under the rules of the
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC since it was established in 1968, and in 2010 it was promoted to its own separate ''Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo'' DOC.
The term ''cerasuolo'' can also refer to
Cerasuolo di Vittoria, an unrelated
DOCG dry red wine from
Sicily
Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...
made from
Nero d'Avola and
Frappato.
Winemaking and viticulture
Cerasuolo is made in the ''rosato'' style using the same DOC composition rules as the red wines of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo: at least 85%
Montepulciano, and the remainder
Sangiovese or other local varieties.
Finished Cerasuolo wines must have a minimum alcohol level of 12%, and be released no earlier than 1 January of the year following vintage (about 2–3 months of bottle age). For wines marked ''Superiore'', the minimum alcohol is higher at 12.5% and the earliest release date is 1st of March in the year following vintage (about 4–5 months of bottle age).
The DOC includes the same restrictions on vineyard elevation as the Montepulciano DOC: no higher than above sea level, or for vineyards on south-facing slopes.
Sensory properties
According to Bastianich, Cerasuolo tend to be a darker red colour than typical rosé wines from France or other regions of Italy, more intense, medium-bodied, with aromas of orange peel,
cinnamon
Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several tree species from the genus ''Cinnamomum''. Cinnamon is used mainly as an aromatic condiment and flavouring additive in a wide variety of cuisines, sweet and savoury dishes, biscuits, b ...
, strawberry and dried cherries.
References
External links
* Italian Wine Central
Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo DOC
{{wines
Italian DOC
Cuisine of Abruzzo
Wines of Abruzzo