Giovanni Mesina Rozzo 2018

Rozzo is a red wine from Giovanni Battista Mesina, made from 90% Sangiovese and 10% Montepulciano grown on the hilltop farm of Pianello, roughly 13 kilometers northeast of Perugia in central Umbria. The vineyards sit at approximately 229-300 meters elevation amid orchards, olive groves, and the family's working sheep farm. The blend varies slightly year to year, and this 2018 bottling falls under the Umbria IGT designation.

Winemaking is minimal by design. Grapes are hand-harvested, fermented with native yeasts, macerated on the skins for around 5 days, then aged for 6 months in resin-lined and fiberglass tanks with no oak contact. No sulfur is added at any stage. The wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered.

The result is a medium-bodied red with dusty, subtle tannins, bright red fruit, an earthy, herbal undertow, and good natural acidity. It is transparent about where it comes from — a small farm where sheep outnumber wine barrels — and drinks with honest, unpretentious energy. Around 2,000 bottles were produced.