Tenuta Anfosso\nEntering Italy via the highway that runs east from Nice, Monaco and Menton, the first major Italian city you pass is Ventimiglia. Shortly afterwards, as you leave the highway and head north into the hills, the dramatically steep slopes of this area of the pre-Alps come into view. It is immediately clear that this is a very serious terroir , hidden in the hills of western Liguria and forgotten in time.\n\nIn these hills you will find Tenuta Anfosso, located in the town of Soldano, and the wine area (or DOC) known as Rossese di Dolceacqua. The grape grown here is the same Rossese as that planted throughout Liguria, but the terroir of Dolceacqua takes the grape to new heights. The wines are reminiscent of Cote-Rotie, with their combination of floral and roasted/bacon-fat aromas and silky-soft mid-palate with “grittyness” in the aftertaste. There is a level of concentration, structure, spiciness and minerality that the more fruit-driven Rossese wines from eastern Liguria do not possess.\n\ntenuta Anfosso is blessed with incredible vineyards, which allow them to create wines of this quality. The average age of the estate's vines could be described as "old", including their Poggio Pini cru , planted in the late 19th century, and their even older pre-phylloxera Rossesse Bianco. These slopes are extremely steep and can only be worked by hand, which is made possible by the hand-built stone terraces.\n\nAlessandro Anfosso (accompanied by his wife, Marisa Perrotti) is the sixth generation of his family to farm this land. His great-grandfather Giacomo replanted their Poggio Pini vineyard in 1888. Alessandro's father Luciano still lives in the steep hills among the vines and is currently 87 years old. He has no fewer than 77 harvests to his name!\n\nWith 5.5 hectares, Tenuta Anfosso is one of the 3 largest domains in this DOC, a zone that is currently planted for only 80 to 90 hectares, compared to 3,000 hectares in pre-phylloxera times. In fact, more vines were planted here than in the Langhe at that time. In other words, it's a forgotten gem of ancient viticulture, with a few remaining artisans making a living in this unforgiving terrain capable of producing world-class wines. Alessandro Anfosso is certainly among the best of them.\n\n \n\nTenuta Anfosso | Rossese di Dolceacqua Superiore\nJust across the French-Italian border from Nice, on the dramatically steep slopes of western Liguria, Alessandro Anfosso farms Rossese grapes in the Rossese di Dolceacqua DOC. Clearly different from the Rosseses made by Punta Crena in the coastal Riviera Ligure di Ponente DOC. These are lighter and brighter while those of Anfosso made slightly inland on almost vertical rocky terraces, are darker, more textured and charming in a very different way. The taste - think cherries and strawberries - is more reserved, with smoke and stone notes.\n\nThis is a light and balanced red wine, harmonious and delicate. The bouquet is very expressive and evokes the Mediterranean scrub, licorice and wild fruits of the area. The taste is soft and fresh, characterized by dynamic savory and soft tannins.\n\n \nFood Pairing\nThis wine pairs spectacularly with grilled and stewed meat, pasta or mushroom-based pizza.
