Marco Merli Zerodibabo Rosato 2019

VARIETIES: 70% Sangiovese and 30% Ciliegiolo 
REGION: Umbria
GROWING AREA: Just Northeast of Perugia, on the rising hills of the Tevere river valley (it’s where the Colli Altotiberini DOC begins).
FARMING: Practising organic. Naturalista.
VEGAN: Yes
ALTITUDE: 300 m / 984 ft
SOILS: clayey limestone
VINE AGE: ranging from 16 to 43 years old 
VINE TRAINING: guyot and cordone speronato 
YEASTS: spontaneous fermentation
FERMENTATION & ÉLEVAGE: Half of grapes were soft pressed and
racked right away; the second half were left to mature fully on the vine, and then vinified with the salasso method (the traditional ‘bleeding off’ to make a rosato). The two cement tanks were then blended and left for a 14 months elevage with no racking.
MALOLACTIC FERMENTATION: Yes
SULPHUR: None added 
ALCOHOL: 12%
ANNUAL PRODUCTION: 2,350 bottles / 195 cases

From the Producer: 

Over a decade ago, Marco Merli left a life as a fashion designer to become a naturalista in the Umbrian hills just outside of Perugia. Right away he brought an attention to detail, with a rigorous selvatica aesthetic. To be clear: he doesn’t make wild wines, instead, he layers, weaves, and interweaves the wildness of the Umbrian hills and grape varieties into addictively savory wines, framed by notes of bitter and sour.

These are stunning wines that can dress down for a picnic, or dress up for a proper evening meal.

Zero di Babo is a reference that the wine is vinified dry, with 0 / zero residual sugar after fermentation is completed. And although this wine is bone dry, there remains an addictive succulence to the fruit.