Ka Manciné

Maurizio Anfosso, Piazza 8 Luoghi, 36 Franz S Martino – Soldano. Tel. 0184 28 90 89

18 000 bottles – maximum quantity before needing to employ staff. Now he can remain independent and work on his own and with family – bringing in a few extra at harvest time.  He would consider no more than a palate load for export.

Maurizio is an artist – the wine label is his own design – showing a worker in the field carrying a basket of grapes.

He also gives names, such as ‘Gilda’, and identities to each of his fermenting tanks.

Maurizio only makes classico but each wine 100% from two different parcels: Beragna and Galeae. North east exposure facing onto the Valle Verbone , cooler = freshness and fruitiness. He has about 1ha of each parcel. Raspberries, wild cherries and hints of strawberry are typical flavours.

‘Beragna’ is one of the highest plots in the Rossese di Dolceacqua DOC at 400m and faces more northerly. It is planted with upto 50% pre-phylloxera vines, (planted 1872). Tasting notes reveal that these wines tend to have more fruit than the wines from Galeae.

‘Galeae’ is even higher at around 450m but is more southerly facing giving an extra Mediterranean warmth. Largely planted with ‘young’ vines – planted 1998. Crisp acidity and minerality, and a Cabernet Franc style leaness, appears frequently on tasting notes.

The name ‘Galeae’ refers to an ancient prison on the site where prisoners from captured galleons were kept.

In 2007 made first rosato from vines at 350-400m and in 2011 first white from some old vines, planted 1872 in Beragna (400m) and younger vines, planted 2009 in Foulavin (250m).

 8th July 2012, Ka Mancine Cellar

Tabaka White 2011 vino da tavola. 70% Massarda, 20% Vermentino, 10% Viognier. Massarda is a local grape from Genoa, Tunisia and the island of San Pietro before coming to Liguria also known as Tabacca. Whiffs of petrol on the nose. Soft ripe fruit on the palate with ripe acidity. 12%. 14/20

Sciakk Rosato 2011.  100% Rossese. Harvested three weeks after the red wine harvest for extra ripeness and maturity, this wine is more like a pale red wine in colour. The wine is dry with minimal residual sugar but the ripeness of fruit gives an impression of sweetness – strawberries, ripe and jammy backed with very good acidity. A lovely wine, and very different to ‘classic’ roses. 14%. 17/20

Galeae 2010 Lean minerality, good acidity, clean and fresh. Leaness quite evident in a Cabernet Franc way making it good with food. 13.5%. Long, lean and powerful. 17/20

Beragna 2010 Hints of rubber on the nose. More fruit than than the Galaea. Good acidity, ripe fruit. Not as clean and long and fresh – but love the red berry fruit. 16/20

Beragna 2008. This was a very hot vintage. Ripe, red currant fruit. Round, ripe, currant fruit. Round, ripe, almost jammy, sweet fruit. 14% alcohol evident.

7th July 2012 ‘Style Rossese’ Blind Tasting, Bajardo

Galeae 2011 Floral notes on the nose. Excellent acidity, lovely fresh fruit and clean suggesting a cooler climate/higher altitude site. 17.5/20

Beragna 2010 Very faint rubber on the nose, bitter cherry fruit, a little flat on the palate. 14/20

23rd June 2012 Dolceacqua

Beragna 2011 (13%). Wild berries, cherries. Good acidity, tannin, juicy fresh, clean, fresh wild berry fruit. Long clean chewy acidity. 17.5/20

Galeae 2011 (13.5%) Mineral stoney tannins. Good acidity. A lean mineral style. Very fresh clean. Less fruity more mineral. Higher vineyard. 17.5/20

16th December 2011 Ventimiglia

Galaea 2010 Lovely soft ripe and fruity – creamy texture, wild raspberries, delicate. Rosie. Deep fruit, but drifty, hard to pin down. M – (strangely) rough. 13.5%

22nd May 2011 Blind Tasting Bordighera

Galaea 2010 Ruby red, herby aromas. Slightly hints of burnt rubber – only slightly. Good ripe fruit, creamy smooth – lacks bite of acidity. Faulty bottle? 14.5/20

7th May 2011 Taggia

Galeae 2010 Ripe fruit nose, toffees. Good acidity. Mineral notes. Slightly stoney with very ripe fruit and evident alcohol. Well balanced. Very chewy acidity – mouthwatering. Good weight. 13.5%. 18.5/20

29th May 2010 Blind Tasting Dolceacqua

Beragna 2009 Light red. Violets, perfumed on nose and palate – almost like a Cabernet Franc. Ripe raspberry fruit and cherries with a peaty earth character. 17/20

Galeae 2009 Ruby red. Perfumed. Deep inky black fruits and firm tannins. Again a Cabernet character. Deep black fruit but with very fresh acidity. 18/20

5th April 2010

Beragna 2009 Light red. Lovely fresh raspberry fruit, fresh fruit, fresh acidity. 18/20