Rossese Bianco di Monforte is an extremely rare white grape that is made by five producers in Monforte d’Alba in northwest Italy. Plantings of the grape were once widespread across the Piedmont and Liguria regions but today only small plantings remain. It was rescued from extinction in the 1980s by Giovanni Manzone when he found some old vines in his family vineyard. The Manzone family worked with a local university to earn its DOC status in 2011. The vines produce low yields of small berried clusters. Today, the wine is highly regarded and rarely exported out of Italy. The wines it produces are light with pronounced aromas of floral notes, citrus and stone fruit.
On my recent travels, I tried a 2023 La Castella Rossese Bianco from Langhe DOC. We stopped at the family home/winery for a light lunch of traditional foods paired with their wines. Winemaker Monica (shown above) left home to study enology in Germany then returned to take over in the cellar. The Rossese Bianco is a pale lemon color. It has prominent aromas of lemon, orange, peach, gardenia, and jasmine. This dry wine is a medium bodied with a moderate alcohol and significant levels of acid. On the palate, there were notes of wet stone in addition to the aforementioned fruit and floral character. These flavors lingered on the extended finish. This wine would pair well with a cheese plate or light seafood and fish. If you are able to locate a bottle, I definitely recommend trying it!
-TheLooseTannin
A Trip Around the World of Wine in 52 Weeks 