2017 Giovanni Rosso Barolo Serralunga D’Alba

2017 Giovanni Rosso Barolo Serralunga D’Alba

2017 Giovanni Rosso Barolo Serralunga D’Alba Packed with sweet strawberry and cherry flavors, this red also deals leather, tobacco and tar notes from a well-structured deck. Tightens up considerably on the finish, a good sign for future development. The 2013 is lifted and gracious. Above all else, the Serralunga is a wine that speaks to balance and harmony above all else, while downplaying some of the typical Serralunga heft, which is fine for a Barolo meant to be enjoyed upon release. Hints of herb, licorice and dried flowers add the closing shades of nuance.

Red wine

Red wine has been prevalent since prehistory (the period before written records) as winemaking originated and spread throughout the world. In this case, “red blend” refers to any red wine that contains more than one red grape variety in the final product, though certain red blends can have their own designation as varietal wines despite comprising multiple grapes.

For much of the history of European wine, red blends were in fact more common than single varietals, as winemaking was typically region-centric and featured grapes consolidated from vineyards across a given area. One famous example of this practice is the Bordeaux blend, which originated in the 18th or 19th century and usually comprises Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc.

Though prominent red blends such as Bordeaux still remain popular, many red blends have been associated with lower quality due to the assumption that the term indicates cheaper table wines. However, many high-quality wine producers still elect to produce red blends, and these wines can in fact offer many unique and delicious flavors due to the winery’s ability to custom design the profile of their product.