Rosa del Golfo, an important estate in Salento that we have reviewed many times, capable of producing typical, terroir-driven yet innovative wines at the same time. Such is the case with Rosa del Golfo, the fresh and summery rosato that gives the winery its name; or the Quarantale, a Negroamaro-based wine built for long aging; or indeed the Vigna Mazzì, another rosato, again from Negroamaro grapes, one of the very few rosé wines that undergoes wood aging.
This time we meet the estate on the occasion of a tasting of another of its wines. We are talking about Bolina, a white wine made from the indigenous grape Verdeca. A white-berried variety, Verdeca is the most widespread grape not only in Salento but across all of Puglia, and it takes its name from the distinctive green color of its berries. Bolina is a white wine, fruity, aged without the use of any wood, moderately alcoholic and endowed with an agile structure.
The wine was produced for the first time in the late 1980s, a period when certain trends arriving from abroad were all the rage. It was the era of barrel-aged white wines – rich, often excessively structured and alcoholic. Wines that appealed primarily to an international palate of Anglo-Saxon influence.
Mino Calò, father of the current owner Damiano, bucking the trend of the time, crafted this white wine using only stainless steel, designed for immediate consumption. And perhaps the very name of the wine owes something to that choice, much like the point of sail that keeps a sailing vessel on course when the helmsman decides to sail into the wind, in a subtle and delicate play of balance and counterweights to keep the boat moving without risking being pushed backwards by the wind.
The wine, which includes a complement of Chardonnay in the blend, is produced from grapes grown in the vineyards of the municipality of Martinafranca. It is vinified in stainless steel, where it refines for six months before being released to market.
On to the tasting.
Bolina 2015
The wine presents itself with a brilliant straw-yellow color with greenish glints. On the nose it immediately strikes for its intense and refreshing floral notes – acacia and orange blossom above all – followed by peach, an exotic fruitiness of pineapple and citrus over a vegetal backdrop. The palate confirms exactly the impression of agility and readiness. The remarkable fresh-saline attack prevails over the overall moderate alcohol content (12 degrees), characterizing the length as well. A wine with an altogether undemanding structure and a finish distinguished by fine almond-tinged returns.
Bolina is an elegant white wine, to be drunk well chilled and returned to again and again. It is perfect as an aperitivo but is also capable of pairing with fish-based preparations. An ideal wine to enjoy at this time of the season.
What do you think?
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