Category: TrentoDOC
Rotari Cuvée 28 TrentoDOC, Italy
100% Chardonnay from Rotari, the Trentino arm of the Mezzacorona giant. This is being pushed in the UK at around £15 a bottle, which makes it amongst the cheapest Traditional Method wines available. It’s better than almost everything at that price (and better than a fair bit priced higher, too). Very bright with sunny yellow grapefruit and almond paste, clean and balanced with 36 months of ageing. The only real signature of a very affordable sparkling wine comes on the finish, which holds quite a build-up of grippy, slightly bitter citrus oil. But in its sunny yellow-grapefruit way, it is quite attractive. More fun than much ‘special offer’ own-brand champagne seen at this time of year, for sure. 16
Ferrari Perlé 2012, TrentoDOC
Ferrari Perlé Rosé 2014
80% Pinot Nero, 20% Chardonnay. All stainless steel, 50 months on lees disgorged autumn 2019. A tricky vintage for most of Italy, Trentino included. Lots of rain and disease problems, especially for the red grapes.
Nevertheless this wine hits all the right notes with lovely raspberries and peaches, dunked in lovely aromatics of smoky pepper, dried rose petals and orange. A little spicy tomato savour, with gentle sweet creaminess. Lovely clarity and reductive precision, as ever with Ferrari, although it is just a notch under some other Perlé releases. 17
Ferrari Perlé Bianco 2009
100% Chardonnay from this slightly cooler TrentoDOC vintage. All stainless steel. Disgorgement mid 2018.
This lovely vintage is developing a more golden set of flavours now, with a strongly reductive personality that threatens vegetal notes but stays with jackfruit and pineapple, lime and lily, candied grapefruit and ginger. It retains the sinewy tension of roasted lemons on the palate, opening out now to a fine, relaxed place with gentle, unobtrusive bakery richness. An intriguing touch of something like paprika – smoky pepperiness – that I’ve started to associate with all these wines, too. Complex and rewarding, if not quite as harmonious as some other recent Perlés. 17
Ferrari Perlé Nero 2010
100% Pinot Nero. 6 years on lees.
This is brilliant. Beautifully fragrant, with super-ripe strawberry and golden stone fruits mixing with zesty candied grapefruit and papaya. It’s so clear and precise for a blanc de noirs, with no weightiness or toughness. Instead a spot of Pinot savour comes in the form of captivating, subtle complexities of smoky peppercorns, asian herbs and bitters. Lovely gentle autolytic richness. Very Ferrari – lots going on but nothing getting in the way of that beautiful fruit. 17.5
Ferrari Riserva Lunelli 2009
This is the outlier in Ferrari’s portfolio. 100% Chardonnay with full oak vinification. This bottle was disgorged in 2018. Intense, saturated style with lime marmalade and smoked meat at first, opening up with real complexity of pomelo, peach and candied citrus. Tarragon and sweet wood. A vein of yellow butter and spice runs through the palate. Oak is very, very prominent, yet not tough or dried-out. Time will help.
16.5
Date Tasted : 13/12/2019
Moser 51,151 Brut NV
100% Chardonnay. Such a fresh and breezy style here, clean green apple and subtle white peach with some herbs and lemon pith. There’s some wet chalk and chamomile – it’s really pretty and delicate. It’s quietly pure on the palate, staying a long way away from any intensity of acid/texture/sweetness or overt ripeness. Aperitif-style, meant in the best possible way
16
Date Tasted : 15/08/2019
Cesarini Sforza 1673 2011
Alluring on the nose – a beautiful melange of citrus zest with candied lemon, yellow grapefruit and nectarine. This melds with slightly exotic floral tones, sweet basil and gentle tropical and melon fruit, supported by subtle autolytic creaminess. Quite delicate on the palate, focusing on ripe citrus and the sweet freshness of recent disgorgement. It feels fairly airy and transparent, not really trading on acidity or sugar but just breezily closing out with slightly drying chalkiness. Dosage is low, but just high enough to harmonise and freshen the fruit – nicely judged (I can’t find any information but it certainly seems below 5g/l). Drink young
16
Date Tasted : 01/09/2019
Cembra Oro Rosso Dosaggio Zero NV
100% Chardonnay with 60 months on lees. This is lovely on the nose, refined and composed with fresh yellow fruits (yellow apple, sweet papaya and starfruit) tinged with Thai basil. There are some classy autolysis flavours here; nut milk and oyster. It’s really breezy and attractive, but with a serious side. The palate is fairly benign in comparison; it avoids heaviness or prominent phenolics and is pleasingly airy and bright, if a little diffuse. Quite low acidity. Well-made example
15.5
Date Tasted : 18/07/2019
Maso Martis Dosaggio Zero 2014
70% Pinot Nero, 30% Chardonnay. This claims 36 months on lees (but is probably longer). A sweet, white fleshy character of white peach and juicy pear opens things up. Nice lift from orange oil and anise balls, but also a slightly dried-out hay-like character mingles on the palate with a chalky, carbonic hollowness. There is a good wine in here and I’ll certainly look out for more from this producer, but this bottle has tired quickly
14
Date Tasted : 18/07/2019
