Paladin Primo Rosso Vino Spumante Dolce

Casa Paladin works in the Veneto, and this Primo Rosso is a sweet sparkling red drawn from an unusual cuvée of Merlot, Moscato Bianco and Malbec. The wine is made in a tank-based style that keeps the fruit fresh and the bead soft, with a high residual sugar near 80 grams per litre placing it firmly in the sweet camp. The Moscato lends floral aromatics while the red grapes give colour and berry depth, and the result is a light, sweet fizz designed for relaxed and celebratory moments rather than the dinner table proper.

The colour is a ruby red with cherry-red accents, topped by a fine bead and a pink foam. The nose is floral and fresh, showing red fruit and wild rose. The palate is sweet, soft and endearing, with cherry, strawberry and raspberry carried on a lively bead, closing long and persistent. Serve well chilled at around 8 degrees in a wine glass. It suits shortcrust pastries with fruit, strawberries and cream, and ham with melon, and works well simply on its own in the garden.