16 Rosso
16 Rosso started off as an experiment in wine crafting. 3 winemakers decided to push the boundaries of creating a high abv wine, without any fortification (adding spirit alcohols creating a “fortified wine”) and still retaining the distinctive depth and flavours of a complex wine. 16 Rosso is the end result of that and how very special it is too.
The label requires some explanation. There is no region or appellation stated on the bottle. The wine doesn’t claim any of the statuses of IGP or DOP/DOC/DOCG on the bottle. This is a deliberate action by the producer.
Classifying the wine at the very lowest level “Vino D’Italia” means that the producer doesn’t need to identify the wine region or the grapes used. Legally, only the colour of the wine needs to be stated – “Rosso” which as we mostly know, means red. This is the same approach that is taken by the Italian “Super Tuscan” wines, where not only does the lowest classification of wine allow some secrecy around the creation of the wine, but it also allows massive flexibility in the types of grapes that can be used together.
It’s produced by Botter S.P.A. a producer that we have worked with on a number of great wines over the past few years. Botter has been crafting wines since 1928 and now have a wine portfolio of great quality but pocket-friendly wines. The facts speak for themselves – Botter has averaged 4 shipping containers of wine, every single week to the USA since 2007.
Region: Italy
Grape Type: Unspecified Blend – but probably contains some Brunello, Sangiovese and Nebbiolo.
ABV: 16%
Soil: We know nothing about the soils that these grapes were grown on.
Weather conditions: We know nothing about the specific weather.
Winemaking / Ageing: We know nothing about the production process or the ageing of this wine. We would guess that there is oak barreling involved due to the complexity of the wine. But this would be a guess.
Tasting: THIS WINE MUST BE DECANTED for at least 60 minutes (more if time permits) to allow it to develop its intense aromas of chocolate, berries, forest fruits and almost a soft hint of coffee in the background. An incredibly well-crafted wine that could be savoured for an hour just trying to identify all of the different flavours and textures that are carried in the silky soft liquid. Medium to heavy body with absolutely zero stickiness from tannins – which is usually the problem with most wines as rich as this.
The best wine that has been on our table this year, 2019.
Food Pairing: This is a highly versatile wine. It’s a great bottle to share socially with friends in a relaxing environment. As a food pairing, this is an obvious match for most Mediterranean food dishes. For Chinese food, look to pair this with most meals that have red meat.
It also pairs well with deserts – something very unique for a medium of heavy bodied wine. The chocolate undertones here went perfectly with chocolate cheesecake.
This wine will not pair well with fish or dishes that have a lot of chillies.
Show reviews in all languages (5)
Rudi –
Wow wow and wow! The 16 Rosso is simply stunning! Almost no tannins to be noticed, incredibly well rounded, heavy enough but yet getting you to go ahead and try more and more since it gets better with every sip! Thanks for the recommendation and let us know please if you have more stock at 150….
Aimee –
I’m having my first glass of the 16 Rosso. It’s my type of wine. Dry and full-bodied. I have to say, it’s pretty complex. I think I smell some cherries in there. It’s very robust in the tongue but it’s got a clean finish. It’s not a fruity wine if that makes sense. Fruit isn’t a characteristic I’m drawn to, so as I said, this is my type of wine
You know how sometimes the tannins in a red leave that weird feeling on your tongue? This bottle has none of that. Thankfully, this has soft tannins.
Dashing and Handsom Eric –
Heavy berry hints of cherry amazing mouth feel and balanced nose a little heavy on the alcohol but no hints of the heavy alcohol in the taste. Very reminiscent of much more expensive California wines. I won’t lie, it’s not the best wine I’ve ever had but it’s top 3 I’ve had in china and it’s an amazing value.
There is one wine I regularly get in china that i prefer more but it runs 700-900 a bottle. And 700 is if I buy a case. So for this price I am super impressed
THE Dane –
holly crap that’s cheap for such a wine – sorry for my direct speach
Cade –
I don’t know all the fancy dancy wine lingo. But I will say this:its really smoothe and well-rounded especially considering it’s high alcohol content. By far one of the best wines I’ve had in China, a wine that could probably sell for about 400 to 500rmb. I was one was the lucky ones who got it as part of a birthday promotion!
If you haven’t tried it, just do it! You got nothing to lose.