Grape blend: 100% Pinot Nero
Aged: partly (25%) in oak Tonneaux, then minimum 57 months in the bottle on its lees
Alcohol content: 12.5% vol
Acidity: 5.90 g/l
Residual sugars: 6 g/l
An elegant sparkling wine, fruit of a long process that begins with the care of the Pinot Nero in the vineyards, continues with a period in wood – to which the wine owes its golden yellow colour – and culminates with more than four years of ageing on the lees. The grapes from the hills of the Oltrepò Pavese area benefitted from a good season in 2019, with a rainy spring and a dry harvest, essential for the health of the ripe bunches. Picking was done manually, immediately followed by pressing, and by the slow first fermentation at a controlled temperature of 16 °C. For a quarter of the grapes this phase took place in tonneaux containing 500 litres, where the bouquet was enhanced without the wood becoming intrusive, endowing the final cuvée – which was “assembled” in the spring – with body and sweetness. The extremely fine bubbles are a consequence of the second fermentation, in the bottle, followed by lengthy ageing (57 months) “sur lies”, which determines the characteristic flavour, and influences the organoleptic aspects of the wine.
Tasting – Colour: intense golden yellow, with numerous fine little bubbles. The nose: a lively and elegant bouquet, opening with aromas of ripe peach, pastry cream, sweet citron and grapefruit, and concluding with slight notes of walnut and buttery pastries. In the mouth: the fine, persistent perlage tantalises the palate with aromas during retronasal olfaction as well. It’s fresh, with a lengthy aftertaste and the elegant salinity typical of La Vialla’s Metodo Classico wines.
Wine and Food Pairing – It’s appreciated by everyone and goes well with everything, but even a glass of it on its own satisfies the palate. Excellent with nibbles and appetizers such as salt cod balls, it enhances pasta dishes “from the sea” – tortelli stuffed with fish and potatoes, or seafood linguine – but also grilled fatty fish, shellfish salad, fish risottos, or aubergine roulades with ricotta and pesto.