Grape blend: 100% Pinot Nero
Aged: partly for 8 months in Tonneaux, then 64 months in the bottle on its lees
Alcohol content: 12.5% vol
Acidity: 6.1 g/l
Residual sugars: 5.9 g/l
Precious golden bubbles and extremely fine perlage are the credentials of this “Metodo Classico” from La Vialla. The hot, dry summer of which it is the offspring saw a reduced yield. The bunches were very ripe, and for sparkling wines, in particular Méthode Traditionnelle ones, the grapes’ acidity is fundamental. So those from the valley floor, which grow more protected from the heat and maintain significant aromas and acidity, were selected. After soft pressing, the Pinot Nero grape must was divided: some of it fermented in 500 litre tonneaux barrels, the rest in steel. After 8 months the base wines were blended, the Cuvée was bottled and underwent second fermentation for around 3 weeks. However, we had to wait another 64 months, during which the wine aged on its lees, before making the first toast ... and it was worth it, because time gave the wine great complexity of aroma and taste.
Tasting – Colour: brilliant golden yellow, with fine chains of bubbles that rise slowly in the glass. The nose: an impact of great complexity that gradually reveals itself, from brioche to nuts, from floral to Mediterranean, with marine nuances given by a marked minerality. In the mouth: very fine perlage that constantly “pushes” against the palate, clean and dry, with characteristic salinity and acidic freshness, but also creamy due to the prolonged ageing on its lees and the contribution of the wood.
Wine and Food Pairing – Elegant and versatile in a way that few wines are, it goes well from grand occasions to a simple aperitif, with fish first courses, risotto or seafood carbonara, with oysters and raw seafood, and even grilled fatty fish. It also goes agreeably with warm crostini with “lardo di Colonnata, with stracciatella cheese and truffles.