Tenuta di Capezzana, Barco Reale di Carmignano Rosato DOC (Tuscany, Italy) “Vin Ruspo” 2024 ($23, Dalla Terra)

Vin Ruspo is, for lack of a better word, dialect for “stolen wine.” It originated during the sharecropping era in Tuscany. At the end of the day, the farmer would hold the last barrel of harvested grapes overnight before taking them to the landowner’s winery the next morning. During the overnight, the weight of the grapes crushed some at bottom of the barrel, producing pink juice, which the farmer removed before taking the grapes to the winery, and transformed into wine—hence the concept of “stolen.” Capezzana’s could almost be mistaken for a white because it is so pale. That said, its creamy texture, spice and depth are enthralling. Certainly not a typical rosé, it is a great aperitivo as summer approaches.
92 Michael Apstein