One of our favorite rosé is Leonardo Bussoletti’s Ciliegiolo. In 2007, Leonardo started his own vineyard, which he and his family have since grown to 9 hectares. Over 70% of Leonardo’s wine production is from the grape Ciliegiolo, which translates to  ‘small cherry’ in Italian because of the cherry aroma from the berries. This purple-black skinned grape is quite difficult to grow, as it is prone to mildew and sour rot, and must be picked early in harvest season. Most Italian winemakers use it as a blending grape, but Leonardo appreciates it on its own. In fact, he loves the grape so much that he even worked with the University of Milan to identify over 30 different clones of Ciliegiolo on his property! In his spare time, Leonardo also founded the Association of Ciliegiolo Producers of Narni. He is a Ciliegiolo master!

Narni is the small city where the Bussoletti family lives and works. This ancient hilltown is in the commune of Umbria in central Italy overlooking the narrow gorge of the Nera River. Fun fact: British author and theologian C. S. Lewis named his fantastical land of Narnia in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe series after Narni, Italy. The lion on the wine’s label is a nod to Aslan, the lion in Lewis’ fantasy novel. 

Leonardo’s wine is considered natural, as he is using all organic practices in the vineyard and native yeasts in the cellar. The grapes in his 2020 Bussoletti ‘05035’ Ciliegiolo Rosato are picked early to achieve freshness. They undergo whole cluster fermentation, meaning that stems, pips, and all, are put into a stainless tank together to get their fermentation on. Unlike the strawberry and cream flavors of Provencal rose, 05035 tastes like biting into a crisp red apple or watermelon! It has a slightly green, herbal, wild quality, and lingering notes of thyme. Enjoy alongside grilled chicken and toasted bread slathered with creamy buffalo cheese!

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