Tenuta Carretta is historic. Truly. Like 550 years of winemaking historic. This winery predates Christopher Columbus, with records placing its founding to the year 1467. The estate is set in rolling hills of Piobesi d’Alba, Roero, just north of the City of Alba and on the left bank of the Tanaro River. Here, Tenuta Carretta has a total of 197 acres, situated on some of the most coveted soil types in the world: marl and sedimentary and sandy soils. The vineyards are a part of the Monferrato winemaking district, which was named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2014. The estate itself is named for the Piobese noblewoman, Domina Carretta, who first owned the estate, centuries ago. Today, Tenuta Carretta makes mostly red, still wines – only recently branching out into the world of Italian sparkling.

This rare, bone-dry, nebbiolo rosé comes from the estate’s San Rocco vineyard in Alba (the home of Nutella!). The small, nearly black berries are crushed pneumatically to avoid oxidation, and then left to macerate on the skins for a few short hours to pull its color. From there, a cool fermentation over the next six months results in a dry, nebbiolo rosé that is then bottled and aged for a full 18 months on the lees. Finally, after disgorgement, a light dosage of 2 grams per liter was added to finish.

The resulting pale pink bubbly is a revelation! A gloriously floral bouquet of red roses, and peonies, followed by black cherries and Ruby Red grapefruits, with a hint of spearmint. The flavors are juicy and soft, with more cherries, some plums, watermelon, red raspberries, and chantilly cream. The finish is lightly spicy with a tingle of pink peppercorns, and a kiss of iodine and smoked sea salt. Fun stuff… especially for lovers of Piemonte reds! There’s no two ways about it… this is a worthy Italian sparkler – even at the full retail of $50. At nearly half that price, for a rare and gorgeous rosé of nebbiolo, this 91 point beauty is something special indeed!