Do.t.e don't Pet Nat me Rosato 2019

100% Syrah from Cortona in eastern Tuscany, harvested September 10, 2019. Filippo Calabresi direct-pressed the grapes to preserve freshness and acidity, then fermented the juice spontaneously in stainless steel. A portion of the original must was separated at pressing and frozen; that reserved must was added at bottling in spring to trigger the in-bottle refermentation that gives the wine its gentle effervescence. The wine was never disgorged, leaving yeast sediment in the bottle.

Do.t.e stands for "down to earth" and is Filippo Calabresi's project built around a 2-hectare vineyard in Cortona. The Syrah vines were planted in 2002 and the Viognier in 1991 on soils of Pliocene and Pleistocene origin, rich in clay, silt, and sand in the Val di Chiana. No systemic pesticides, herbicides, or insecticides are used in the vineyard, and no chemical or enological additives, including sulphites, are used in the cellar.

This wine is sold as Vino da Tavola because the Cortona DOC makes no provision for a rosato wine. Technically it is a pétillant naturel, though the bubbles are very fine and low-pressure. The result sits between a still rosé and a lightly sparkling wine rather than anything overtly fizzy. Serve well chilled and keep the bottle upright to manage sediment.