Grape blend: 100% Pinot Nero
Alcohol content: 12.5% vol
Acidity: 5.5 g/l
Residual sugars: 0.91 g/l
The yeasts from the Metodo Ancestrale – the oldest and most natural production method for sparkling wine – give this wine elegant opalescent tinges and a soft mouthfeel. Lo Chiffón is dry, it has hardly any residual sugars. In 2022, in the Oltrepò Pavese area, the vines didn’t produce many grapes for this wine, but those picked had a high concentration of sugar, which is advantageous for the Metodo Ancestrale. The wine reached an alcohol content of 12.5% vol. naturally, without having to add any extraneous sugar for the “presa di spuma” (= formation of bubbles). This takes place just a few months before bottling, by bringing the must – until then kept refrigerated – to a temperature of 16 °C, in order to let fermentation begin; in this way, the grapes’ primary aromas of flowers and fruit are maintained better than with other methods used for sparkling wine.
Tasting – Colour: pale yellow tending towards platinum, with a pronounced opalescent cloudiness that gradually settles in the bottom of the bottle. The nose: fresh, with fruity aromas of Golden Delicious apples and yellow plums, fine notes of camomile and other wildflowers, and a touch of yeast. In the mouth: pleasant, profuse little bubbles; dry but soft, thanks to the presence of fine yeast lees, not due to the residual sugar content.
Wine and Food Pairing – Its cloudy guise may be unusual, but its pairings are not so at all; like a classic sparkling wine, it goes with all types of “nibbles” and appetizers, with a frittata made with asparagus, onions or zucchini, with medium-mature cheeses and cold cuts that aren’t overly salty, but also with first courses such as squash risotto or pasta “cacio e pepe” (with cheese and pepper), and with grilled fish.
NB: In order to evenly distribute the valuable yeasts contained in the lees of unfiltered wine, before drinking, delicately tip the bottle upside-down at least twice (a mini, homemade “bâtonnage”).