Grape blend: Pinot Nero
Aged: minimum 59 months in the bottle on its lees
Alcohol content: 12.5% vol
Acidity: 5.7 g/l
Residual sugars: 6 g/l
The grapes for this wine come from La Vialla’s vineyards in the Oltrepò Pavese – an area renowned for its Metodo Classico sparkling wines – where, in 2020, summer rainfall concentrated in brief thunderstorms resulted in bunches of plump, juicy Pinot Nero. The first fermentation took place in steel vats, at a low temperature (16 °C) and not too rapidly in order to avoid losing any of the grapes’ delicate aromas. However, part of the must (25%) fermented and matured in Tonneaux containing 500 litres, where it remained until it was time for second fermentation in the bottle and the formation of bubbles. The time spent in wood, albeit “limited”, left its mark... more body and rounded sweetness. The second fermentation, in the bottle, lasted for several weeks, followed by a particularly long period of lees ageing – at least 59 months – which led to the development of the wine’s distinctive flavour and had a significant impact on its organoleptic properties.
Tasting – Colour: elegant pale, golden yellow; as time passes, warmer, almost amber-coloured hues develop. The nose: white-fleshed fruit, with a note of vanilla and hints of bread and biscuit. In the mouth: soft and silky, with a delicate, lingering effervescence that carries the aromas perceived by the nose onto the palate.
Wine and Food Pairing – Excellent on its own for any occasion worth raising a glass to, it also goes extremely well with nibbles for an “aperitivo”, appetizers, seafood (raw, in a salad or risotto) and grilled fish, but also recipes “from the land” such as aubergine roulades with ricotta and pesto.