Bakkanali Rosa IGT 2023 1500ml Magnum

A rosé that makes a real statement: powerfully structured, deep, with ripe tannin and vibrant acidity. In the glass it glows with an intense garnet red with violet highlights. Even the nose shows a freshness and intensity unusual for the category.

The vines grow on Monte Amiata in southern Tuscany, a volcano dormant for 180,000 years and, at 1,738 metres, the highest peak in the area. There, Bakkanali cultivates 5.5 hectares of organically certified vineyards at 600 to 850 metres above sea level. The soils combine limestone, marl, schist, volcanic silicates and quartz. Temperature swings of up to 20 degrees between day and night slow ripening and preserve acidity and aromatics.

Pure Sangiovese. Sebastian Nasello and Ugo Fabbri, who founded the estate in 2017, ferment in stainless steel and concrete, work with cold maceration and partial whole-cluster fermentation, and forgo new barriques. Yields are capped at a maximum of 40 hectolitres per hectare, and the wine is bottled unfined and with only minimal sulphur. 12.0% vol., dry.

Juicy and red-fruited: pomegranate, fresh sour cherry and wild raspberry, followed by rosehip jelly and vanilla. Acidity and tannin are ripe yet present, giving the wine drive all the way through the finish.

This rosé calls for intense cooking with concentrated sauces and piquant sides. For example strawberry and mozzarella salad on toasted ciabatta, seared veal liver with veal jus and pickled raspberries, or warm rhubarb salad with salmon and beetroot.

The 1500 ml magnum format. The estate produces around 25,000 bottles a year and is moving towards biodynamic farming. The name refers to the Roman Bacchanalia, festivals held in honour of Bacchus, the god of wine.