OUR LATEST BOLETTINO
A SUPERB SPARKLING FROM ITALY’S HEEL
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Edizione 1.37
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Published
July 16th, 2025
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As most people would recognize, Italy’s geographic shape resembles a boot—and Puglia, the country’s southern, sun-drenched region, is the boot’s heel. Jutting from the bottom of Italy’s eastern coast, Puglia is an important wine-growing region known for concentrated, high-ABV reds.
But there are exceptions to Puglia’s trademark, heavier style, includingthis dashing sparkling rosé from the Polvanera estate.
Owner Filippo Cassano works with certified organic methods and avoids the use of oak barrels in his winemaking. He also owns vines in some of the coolest vineyard sites in the area, allowing his wines to retain acrispness in structure and zest in fruit. With all of this, it is no wonder Cassano’s Primitivo-based sparkling rosé isthe most articulate and refreshing we’ve tasted from Italy’s heel.
It’s a steal, too.
Polvanera Puglia Brut Primitivo Rosé ($24):
Polvanera is a family-led winery in Gioia del Colle, Puglia, renowned for its hillside cellars carved into limestone and strong organic and biodynamic credentials since the late 2000s. Founded by oenologist Filippo Cassano, himself from a winemaking family, the estate tends many grapes, like Primitivo, Aglianico and Moscato.
On the nose, the wine is remarkably pristine, showing dry and precise red berries, with nuances of grassy herbs and seaside breezes. The palate is bracing and clean, with articulated cherry and strawberry and a core of mouthwatering citrus and minerality. The fine effervescent adds adds deminsion to balanced acidity and the faintest whisper of tannic charm.
Mas de Daumas Gassac Brut Rosé ($28):
Mas de Daumas Gassac, a pioneering estate in Languedoc’s Gassac Valley, is renowned for its commitment to biodiversity and unconventional blends. The Guibert family farms organically, with vines interspersed among Mediterranean forest clearings, fostering a unique microclimate.
On the palate, it is dry and lively, with tart red fruits and salinity, culminating in a refreshing finish. A remarkably structured rosé, with flavors of cherry, crisp plums, and orange zest.
Paltrinieri Lambrusco di Sorbara Radice Rosato 2024 ($24):
Cantina Paltrinieri, established in 1926 in the heart of the Sorbara DOC, is a benchmark family-owned estate now led by fourth-generation Alberto and Barbara Paltrinieri. They specialize in 100% Lambrusco di Sorbara—farming approximately 17 hectares in the narrow strip between the Secchia and Panaro rivers—using sustainable, minimal-intervention viticulture and native fermentation in bottle for natural sparkle.
Pale pink with a fine, persistent bead, this sparkling rosé unfolds aromas of wild strawberry, dark citrus, and red flowers. On the palate it's bone-dry, with firm dry cherry, with excellent acidity and salinity.