Pala 'Chiaro di Stelle' Rose

Pala 'Chiaro di Stelle' Rosé is a field blend from Sardinia's Serdiana plateau, where clay-and-sand soils at 150 to 180 meters produce the taut minerality that defines Sardinian rosato. The blend — forty percent Monica, thirty percent Carignano, thirty percent Cannonau — undergoes twelve hours of skin maceration before two weeks of fermentation at sixteen degrees Celsius in stainless steel, preserving the bright fruit and saline edge that make this wine a natural for crudo and summer tables. Planted in 1990 on northeast- and southeast-facing slopes in the Benatzu Coloru vineyard, the vines yield fruit that carries both the island's volcanic backbone and the Mediterranean wind. Pala farms estate parcels across Serdiana in southern Sardinia, where the Pala family has cultivated indigenous varieties since the mid-twentieth century. The winery's focus on Monica, Carignano, and Cannonau — grapes with deep roots in the island's viticultural history — reflects a commitment to terroir over international fashion. For 'Chiaro di Stelle', partial skin contact extracts color and texture without heavy phenolics, while the long, cool fermentation preserves the aromatics of cherry, raspberry, and blackberry that define the blend. A light filtration before bottling leaves the wine clean but unstripped, with the textural grip that carries the finish. The wine pours a brilliant salmon, with a bouquet of red berries laced with floral notes and a subtle salinity that hints at the Mediterranean's proximity. On the palate, the structure is firm enough for grilled octopus, tomato-forward pastas, or Sardinian bottarga over linguine, but light enough to drink on its own through a long afternoon. The finish shows persistence and balance, with the acid and mineral thread that make this a rosé for the table rather than the poolside. Serve it cold — around fifty degrees — and expect it to open as it warms. Available for pickup at our Lincoln Park bottle shop at 1128 W Armitage Ave, local Chicago delivery, or nationwide shipping.