Free shipping: mainland Portugal over €80 · mainland Spain over €150 · Azores & Madeira over €120 · Secure Payments

Insula VinusAzores

Insula Chão de Lava Rosé 2023

Tax included Shipping calculated at checkout.
Vintage
WhatsApp

Buy a case of 6 and save 10%

€17.01 per bottle €113.40 €102.06 case of 6

-10%

Discount applied automatically in the cart. Cannot be combined with other codes.

TECH SHEET

Tap any tile to learn more

Vintage
2023
Region
Azores
Type
Rosé
Producer
Insula Vinus
Winemaker
Paulo Machado
Alcohol
11.5% vol.
Bottle
750 ml

Wine profile

Rosé

Sweetness
Acidity
Body
Tannin
Alcohol11.5% vol

Tap or hover a scale

Wine profile · Rosé

Sweetness

Level 1 of 5 — Dry – no sugar you can taste, just fruit

In line with typical (1.0) · Typical: average of 59 rosés at Vinogrande

What it is

Sweetness comes from the grape's natural sugar that did not turn into alcohol (residual sugar). A dry wine has almost none; a Port or a late-harvest wine has a lot.

Where you feel it

On the tip of your tongue, right from the first sip, and as a richer, oilier feel in the mouth. Acidity can mask it.

How we set this level

For this wine, the level comes from: the sweetness category recorded on the product sheet (dry, off-dry…).

It is measured in grams of residual sugar per litre. General EU bands: dry up to about 4 g/L, off-dry up to 12, medium-sweet up to 45, sweet above that. On our scale: under 4 g/L = 1, up to 12 = 2, up to 45 = 3, up to 100 = 4, more = 5.

The 1–5 scale follows the WSET tasting grid. We start from the producer's technical sheet and Vinogrande's tasting notes, plus measured data where it exists, such as the alcohol on the label. Only when that is missing do we use the typical profile of the style, region or grapes, and we say so.

The 1–5 scale

  1. 1Dry: no noticeable sugar This wine
  2. 2Off-dry: a touch of sweetness
  3. 3Medium-sweet: clearly sweet
  4. 4Sweet: rich and fruity
  5. 5Very sweet: luscious

In practice, for this wine

Goes with the whole meal, from savoury to mildly spicy. Avoid sweet desserts: they make it taste bitter.

Wine profile · Rosé

Acidity

Level 3 of 5 — Fresh and balanced – like a green apple

Below typical (3.8) · Typical: average of 58 rosés at Vinogrande

What it is

Acidity is the wine's freshness: it gives energy, makes your mouth water and helps the wine age. Too little and it tastes flat; too much and it feels sharp.

Where you feel it

On the sides of your tongue, and in how much your mouth waters after you swallow. The more you salivate, the higher the acidity.

How we set this level

For this wine, the level comes from: the typical profile of the grapes (Wine Folly / WSET), as we have no specific data. Estimate

Labs measure total acidity (grams of tartaric acid per litre; most wines sit between 4.5 and 8 g/L) and pH (usually 3.0 to 3.8; the lower, the more acidic). Our scale turns that into how it feels in the mouth.

The 1–5 scale follows the WSET tasting grid. We start from the producer's technical sheet and Vinogrande's tasting notes, plus measured data where it exists, such as the alcohol on the label. Only when that is missing do we use the typical profile of the style, region or grapes, and we say so.

The 1–5 scale

  1. 1Low: soft, little freshness
  2. 2Medium−: gentle
  3. 3Medium: fresh and balanced This wine
  4. 4Medium+: lively, mouth-watering
  5. 5High: crisp, racy

In practice, for this wine

Versatile at the table: grilled fish, poultry, warm salads. Moderate chilling lifts the freshness.

Wine profile · Rosé

Body

Level 2 of 5 — Light, with presence – like semi-skimmed milk

What it is

Body is the weight and texture of the wine in your mouth. It comes mainly from alcohol, extract (everything dissolved apart from water), glycerol and, in sweet wines, sugar.

Where you feel it

Across the whole tongue: how much the wine fills your mouth. Think skimmed milk, whole milk and cream.

How we set this level

For this wine, the level comes from: the alcohol on the label (per WSET, more alcohol means more body).

There is no single number for body. Labs measure dry extract (many wines are between 18 and 30 g/L) and alcohol, which WSET says has the biggest effect on body. Our scale rates the weight in the mouth.

The 1–5 scale follows the WSET tasting grid. We start from the producer's technical sheet and Vinogrande's tasting notes, plus measured data where it exists, such as the alcohol on the label. Only when that is missing do we use the typical profile of the style, region or grapes, and we say so.

The 1–5 scale

  1. 1Light: fluid and delicate
  2. 2Medium−: light-ish This wine
  3. 3Medium: rounded
  4. 4Medium+: broad
  5. 5Full: dense and rich

In practice, for this wine

Good with fish, poultry and vegetarian food; it won't drown delicate flavours.

Wine profile · Rosé

Tannin

Level 1 of 5 — Silky – almost no grip

In line with typical (1.1) · Typical: average of 62 rosés at Vinogrande

What it is

Tannins come from grape skins, seeds and oak. They give red wines structure and ageing potential, and soften with time.

Where you feel it

On your gums, inside your cheeks and on your teeth: that rough, drying feel, like after strong black tea.

How we set this level

For this wine, the level comes from: the typical profile of this type of wine (WSET), as we have no specific data. Estimate

Labs measure total polyphenols (the TPI index), but that figure is rarely published. Our scale rates the amount and texture of the tannins in the mouth.

The 1–5 scale follows the WSET tasting grid. We start from the producer's technical sheet and Vinogrande's tasting notes, plus measured data where it exists, such as the alcohol on the label. Only when that is missing do we use the typical profile of the style, region or grapes, and we say so.

The 1–5 scale

  1. 1Low: silky This wine
  2. 2Medium−: soft
  3. 3Medium: present
  4. 4Medium+: firm
  5. 5High: robust

In practice, for this wine

Good with fish and light dishes; it can be served a little cooler.

Wine profile · Rosé

Alcohol 11.5% vol

Level 2 of 5 — Moderate – a gentle warmth

Below typical (2.9) · Typical: average of 62 rosés at Vinogrande

What it is

Alcohol is made when yeast ferments the grape's sugar. It brings warmth, adds to the body and carries the aromas.

Where you feel it

As warmth in your throat and chest when you swallow, and a slight burn on the nose when it is high.

How we set this level

For this wine, the level comes from: the alcohol stated on the label — On the label: 11.5% vol.

It is the one axis that is always measured: it comes from the % vol on the label. Still and sparkling wines: under 11% = 1, up to 12.4% = 2, up to 13.4% = 3, up to 14.4% = 4, 14.5% or more = 5. Fortified wines (Port, Madeira…) have their own scale: under 16.5% = 2, up to 18.4% = 3, up to 19.9% = 4, 20% or more = 5.

The 1–5 scale follows the WSET tasting grid. We start from the producer's technical sheet and Vinogrande's tasting notes, plus measured data where it exists, such as the alcohol on the label. Only when that is missing do we use the typical profile of the style, region or grapes, and we say so.

The 1–5 scale

  1. 1Low: under 11% vol
  2. 2Medium−: 11–12.4% vol This wine
  3. 3Medium: 12.5–13.4% vol
  4. 4Medium+: 13.5–14.4% vol
  5. 5High: 14.5% vol or more

In practice, for this wine

Light at the table: fish, small plates, summer food.

Critics & awards

Serve & enjoy

Temperature 8–10 °CFridge 3 h · or ice bucket with water 20 min
GlassRosé glass

Not sure? Ask our AI Sommelier NEW

Pairings, alternatives and advice in seconds

Description

Insula Vinus is an entrepreneurial 3.3-hectare project from Insula Atlantis, combining vineyard, winery, accommodation and tourism to promote the best of what the Azores produce. Guided by simplicity, its viticulture respects ancestral values, keeping native grapes and enhancing the qualities of Azorean wines.

The Wine AdvocateRP 91+Reviewed by: Luis Gutiérrez

Insula is the largest rosé producer on Pico, and the 2023 Chão de Lava AA Rosé was made from grapes Machado doesn't like for reds: Syrah, Merlot, etc., though he hopes soon to make some reds from the old red grapes (Bastardo, Rufete, Saborinho, etc.). This is his signature: a pale rosé with a gastronomic, mineral, saline, fresh side. It's a little reductive because it was bottled very recently, but the palate is great, complete and balanced, with volume, freshness and a clear saline touch on the finish, keeping fruit and freshness. It has 12.2% alcohol, a pH of 3.43 and 7.49 grams of acidity. He thinks of it as a white with a little colour. 14,000 bottles were produced. It was bottled in February 2024.

Insula Vinus is the personal project of Paulo Machado, a native of Pico Island, where it seems everyone has some connection to wine. His grandparents made wine, and he went on to study agronomy. He began buying vineyards and regrafting some of the family's vines, and in 2006 he started making wine. In 2013 he began working with Azores Wine Company, but returned to focus on his own project in 2018. He now has 25 hectares of vines aged between five and 100 years, mainly in the south of Pico, in the parishes of São Mateus and Candelária, and in the west, in Criação Velha and Madalena.

What to serve with this wine

Dishes calculated from this wine’s profile, grapes and region.