EDITOR’S RATING

Dry and bitter, Five Roses lacks the strong fruit flavor that you would look forward to.

7.2

Billed as the first Rosé wine ever bottled in Italy, Five Roses is produced at the estates of Leone De Castris. The blend is 90% Nefroamaro and 10% Nera di Lecce from Salento. It has a very beautiful crystalline cherry-red color with the suggested pairings being risotto, boiled meat and dishes based with seafood and white meat. It has an alcohol content of 12.5% with a good acidity. We opted to pair Five Roses with white meat. Initially it was dry and bitter, however it did go down easy. The bitterness subsided on the second pour, however it was not bursting with fruitiness as the cherries and strawberries were not that prominent. We had very mixed reviews tasting this and while it isn’t a bad Rosé, it wasn’t one of our favorites.