exclusive debut

2020 Leonia Metodo Classico Rosé

Pomino Spumante Rosé DOC

"Surprising. This courageous and determined wine calls us to embark on new paths. It has an expressive and elegant character, just like my great-great-grandmother Leonia, who inspired my innovative choices. She was the one who planted French vines in Pomino, vinifying them in her own gravity-fed cellar and earning the gold medal at the Paris Expo in 1878."

- Lamberto Frescobaldi

Castello Pomino

The castle at Pomino was constructed in 1500, and the wines produced from this estate have been garnering acclaim for centuries. Only 20 miles east of Florence, the Pomino area, which takes its name from this estate, is a universe apart from the traditional Tuscan wine-growing areas. It is a mountain region, cooler, with twice as much rain as the average in Tuscany, snow in the winter, and a landscape defined by sequoias, firs and chestnut trees – it looks, smells and feels completely different, and is the original and most suited area for white wine production in Tuscany.

In 1716, when the Grand Duke Cosimo III de’ Medici issued a notice recognizing the quality of the wines of four territories in Tuscany, he listed Pomino alongside Chianti, Carmignano and the Val d’Arno di Sopra. This proclamation is widely considered a very early step on the way to the modern DOC classification. The modern history of the estate began in the mid-1880s, when Leonia degli Albizzi, the Burgundy-born wife of Angiolo Frescobaldi, built a gravity-fed winery and began growing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay at altitude. Learn more here.

Vinification and aging

Harvested by hand, the Pinot Noir grapes arrived in the cellar in 15 kg crates during the coolest hours of the day. They were then soft pressed to ensure the extraction of a clear must with light anthocyanins. Subsequently, the must underwent a 12-hour cold clarification, which brought a distinctive, harmonious quality to our Leonia rosé. Fermentation took place in stainless steel tanks at a constant and controlled temperature; some was fermented in wood. The assembly of the various cuvées took place in March, followed by the tirage (addition of liqueur de tirage), 40 months of ageing on lees, and finally riddling and disgorgement. Before being released onto the market, the Leonia rosé was aged in the bottle for several months. This step brought further harmony and enhanced the organoleptic balance.

Vintage notes

Vine budding in spring 2020 was uniform and early, no doubt due to the mild winter when the days were typically never too cold. The shoots grew evenly and the leaves were immediately bright green – a clear sign of healthy plants. In the two months preceding the harvest and during the veraison of the grapes, there was regular rainfall and plenty of sunshine during the rest of the period. At the time of harvest, the grapes were crisp, with good acidity. If the first bunches arrived in the cellar were found to be perfectly healthy, the grapes harvested in the following weeks were no different: the hot and dry days of September helped to produce a very high-quality harvest through to the end.

Tasting Notes

The 2020 Leonia rosé sparkling has a clear and crystalline pale pink colour. The perlage is extremely fine and persistent, tickling the palate. The bouquet is elegant and complex, the first hints to appear are those of red fruits reminiscent of blackcurrant, accompanied by touches of citrus reminding us of pink grapefruit. Interesting citrus notes that recall orange blossom. The olfactory finish is guided by typical flavours of patisserie, due to the prolonged ageing on yeasts. The entry into the mouth is dry, clean, creamy and extremely elegant, supported by textbook acidity and excellent freshness. The finish is long.

Domaine Roy & fils members are invited to enjoy exclusive first access with their Fall Release.

The 2020 Leonia Metodo Classico Rosé is offered in limited release at $70 per bottle, with preferred pricing extended to our members.