# L.A. Rosato (2023)

- **Producer:** De Fermo
- **Colour:** rosé
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Montepulciano
- **Region:** Abruzzo, Italy
- **Style:** Natural
- **Alcohol:** 12.5%
- **Average price:** €22
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 10–12 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** cherry, strawberry, raspberry, redcurrant, rose, black pepper, biscuit, cream, almond, hay

## About this wine

De Fermo is a benchmark biodynamic estate located in Loreto Aprutino, a historic winemaking commune in the Abruzzo region of Italy. Managed by Stefano Papetti Ceroni and Eloisa De Fermo, the estate restores ancient agricultural traditions, managing the vineyards, olive groves, and arable land as a single, self-sustaining organism. The 'L.A.' Rosato, named after their home of Loreto Aprutino, represents a deep respect for the local terroir, offering a vinous, structured expression of the Montepulciano grape that blurs the line between a dark rosé and a light red.

## Interesting facts

- The name 'L.A.' is a tribute to Loreto Aprutino, the historic Abruzzo town where the De Fermo estate is located.
- The wine is pressed using a traditional manual vertical basket press, known locally as a torchio, for extremely gentle extraction.
- De Fermo operates as a fully biodynamic farm, integrating vines with ancient grains, olive trees, and livestock.

## Food pairing

This structured, vinous rosé demands food that can match its medium body and vibrant acidity. It pairs exceptionally well with traditional Abruzzese cuisine, bridging the gap between seafood and lighter meats. The wine's bright red fruit profile and savory undertones cut through the richness of pork, tomato-based sauces, and oily fish.

## Wine making process

The grapes for L.A. Rosato are harvested by hand from biodynamically farmed Montepulciano vines. Following a brief maceration of approximately two hours on the skins to extract its characteristic cherry-pink hue, the grapes are gently pressed using a traditional vertical manual basket press (torchio). Fermentation occurs spontaneously with indigenous yeasts in concrete vats and large neutral wooden casks, without temperature control. The wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered with minimal sulfur additions.