The Raboso grape is a venerable and traditional variety of grape widely cultivated in the Veneto region of Northeast Italy. Highly valued for its excellent resistance against disease and pests, this grape is renowned for its capability to produce wines of great depth with a robust structure.
The spherical berries of the Raboso grape have an intense purple cranberry colour that is almost black, fitting for a grape that enjoys late ripening. The robust nature that these wines are known for is, in fact, an attribute of this lengthy maturation process. They are typically highly acidic and rich in tannins, traits that were historically utilised by Venetian merchants who needed wines that could withstand long sea voyages.
It’s in the local wines of Veneto that the Raboso grape truly shines. This grape variatal is used to produce both still and sparkling red wines. The full-bodied still red wines denote notes of dark cherries and berries, whilst the sparkling variety, known as Raboso Frizzante, exhibits a livelier, fruit-filled character. Both varieties exhibit a crisp backbone of acidity which aids in their longevity and allows the wines to be kept for extended periods.
The Raboso grape is undoubtedly a grape with a proud history and a strong link to its native region. Though less well-known outside of Italy, its deeply coloured wines are richly flavoured and strongly characterised. With time, these intense flavours mellow to reveal increasingly complex notes, providing drinkers the opportunity to appreciate the wine at various stages of its life. These characteristics of robustness, longevity and depth of flavour make the Raboso grape a unique and valuable asset to the winemaking tradition of Veneto.
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