Cantele Negroamaro Rosato 2024

Cantele Rosé is made of 100% Negroamaro, which the folks in the village still call 'Niuru Maru', meaning bitter black (red). In another era, Negroamaro was grown solely to ship to the north of Italy where the colder climate made it challenging to obtain the desired color and alcohol levels in the wines they produced. But in recent decades, more and more Salento wineries have looked to the variety as one of the most noble expressions of Pugliese viticulture. 

Cantele’s rosé wines are made from a selection of top Negroamaro grapes that are used to make the Cantele family's flagship wines, Salice Salentino and Teresa Manara Negroamaro. Winemaker Gianni Cantele, to achieve their deep rose hue and their rich aroma and flavor, employs the Italian salasso method (known in English and French as saignée): as the Negroamaro grapes are macerating on their skins to extract the variety’s naturally dark color, he racks off — in other words, he “bleeds” off (hence the name) — some of the must to another tank. After vinification, the resulting wine is aged and bottled as Rosato di Negroamaro (rosé from Negroamaro). 

Cantele’s Rosato di Negroamaro is produced in a fresh, light style, with an emphasis on Negroamaro’s bright aromas and flavors when vinified as a rosé. This is an ideal wine for appetizers, pizza, fish and seafood, and simple first and second courses — especially vegetable-based recipes. The Cantele family originally hailed from Veneto until Paolo Cantele's grandfather emigrated to Puglia and founded this beautiful estate in 1979. When Paolo visited us at the Bottle Shop, we tasted this tasty Rosato and it was fresh and light on its feet yet full of juicy flavor with ripe red fruits, licorice, vanilla and flowers, perfect to serve with pasta, tomatoes & basil, pizza, tuna, Italian cheeses, prosciutto, olives & more.  All of the Cantele wines are authentic, charming and balanced in style.

Cantele is pronounced <cahn-teh-lay>