December
27, 2006
How
To Really Open Sparkling Wine and More....
In This Issue
A Note from Sergio
A month ago, during a trip through Friuli, I crossed
the Slovenian
border and drove five minutes to Ales Kristancic's La
Movia Estate, a
collection of pink stucco houses overlooking slopes
blanketed in cherry
and fig trees, rose bushes, and vines. Ales met me
outside-tall and
broad, with his head shaved, wearing his requisite
black kitchen clogs,
and smiling wickedly.
Every time I hang out with Ales, I leave a little
exhausted, mildly
hungover, and completely content. Ales, a semi-
professional ballroom
dancer and professional partier, is not interested in
moderation of any
sort, but he is interested in purity, so I always end
up eating an
enormous amount of fresh-picked vegetables, farm-
raised meat, artisanal
cheeses, home-baked bread. And then I end up
drinking bottle after
bottle of his biodynamic whites.
Ales' wines are unique and wild, just like him. He
produces them painstakingly, reading lunar cycles,
using old farming methods, eschewing chemicals
completely. After he picks his grapes from vines
planted by his ancestors, he brings them-or
according to him, "escorts" them gently-to his
winery, where he presses them and puts them in
tanks for fermentation. While most winemakers throw
store- bought yeasts into the liquid to speed things
up, Ales allows his juice to ferment naturally. With
manufactured yeasts, you can cause fermentation in
a week, and you don't leave yourself vulnerable to all
the risks inherent in making wine naturally. But for
Ales, whose fermentation lasts at least a month, this
misses the point.
"If the thing that makes a wine unique is its terroir,
then the wine must taste like the earth from which it
came," he once told me. "And if you add anything-
anything-to corrupt that, to cause what is natural
to die at the hand of what is unnatural,
congratulations: You've made an alcoholic grape-
based beverage, but you haven't made wine." His
philosophy is evident in his wines: impossibly fresh,
clear, crisp, and clean.
And then there is his sparkling wine, Puro. When I
was at his house, in the dining room full of paintings
by local artists, he brought out a bottle, and his wife
Vesna served us tiny pieces of bread, each with a
slab of butter and a dollop of caviar. The Puro-
Italian for pure-is true to its name. Each bottle
contains about a half- inch of naturally-occurring
sediment. This sediment, in almost all other bubbly
drinks, is sucked out and replaced with a mix of
sweet new alcohol-cognac or older wine, so that
buyers don't drink solid bits of dead yeasts when
they buy a bottle. But Ales doesn't like this
artificiality and ease.
"The sommelier used to be a person who linked the
farmer and the customer, whose role it was to
protect both," Ales explained as Vesna set a deep
bowl in front of him. "The sommelier was someone
who understood good cork, bad cork, good wine, bad
wine. Now he understands numbers, not the reality of
wine."
Ales dunked the neck of his Puro beneath the surface
of the water (pictured here below). "Puro is a game,
you see. I'm giving this
contemporary sommelier work." He wanted industry
professionals to fit their behavior to his product,
rather than vice versa. He wanted them to see that
there was more than the status quo; Puro was his
statement. He took a cloth napkin and wrapped it
around the submerged cork and jimmied it. In one
fluid movement, he released the cork within the bowl.
A flush of fizzy sediment rushed out into the water,
and Ales pulled the bottle out. He held it up: It was
now clear champagne. He poured us each a glass of
the transparent champagne: Confusing, immaculate,
complicated, and alive. It was, as always, a thing
unto itself. And as always, we drank it for hours, and
it seemed always more intriguing.
This New Year's eve, I'm serving Puro first and
foremost. It will allow me to celebrate a natural wine
made in an ancient tradition, and to serve my guests
something totally different. And I hope that the
seeming magic of the opening-the bottle dunked in
water, the rush of foam, the newfound clarity of the
drink-will spark a conversation and will help me and
my friends discover something new about wine. But
as we all know, one type of bubbly is not sufficient
for the night. So in addition to offering Ales'
Puro, I'm
offering a selection of my other favorite sparkling
wines, each of which should help to make the new
year a little more festive.
Buon anno,
Sergio
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Movia 2000 Puro
(Friuli/Slovenia - Pinot Nero)
The Kristancic family purchased the Movia estate in
1820, and production is currently under the direction
of Ales Kristancic, who is widely regarded as one of
the best winemakers in Italy's Northeast region.
Dually trained in French and Italian viticultural
methodologies, Ales pursues a historically minded but
radical approach to winemaking that includes aging
the whites in 600-liter Slovenian oak casks and
allowing them to remain on the lees without stirring
for over two
years.
Students and winemakers around the globe study his
techniques, and many visit him to observe and learn
firsthand. His vinification and viticultural philosophy
cannot be construed as either traditional or even
purely natural. Terms that have been rendered
virtually meaningless in the wine world due to
gratuitous usage-green harvest, 100 percent new
French barrique, and low yields-are not part of
Movia's viticultural frame of reference. Production is
informed by fine-tuned biodynamic principles that
reflect a thorough understanding of vine and root
management.
By virtue of its protected identity, Champagne is
regarded as the most genuine and serious of the
sparkling wines, a bubbly operating in a class unto
itself. Many countries, however, employ the rigorous
méthode champenoise that accounts, in part,
for
Champagne's gravitas, and Movia takes it a
little
further, requiring its audience to actually engage
in the process. As the Puro is bottled undisgorged,
the yeast sediment plug must necessarily be removed
under
water
prior to its being served.
Opening Procedure for Movia Puro:
1. Fill a large bucket or bowl with water. The
preferred medium is a
large glass bowl, as it enables one to view the
process and observe the
sediment's release.
2. Position the wine upside down or at
a downward-facing angle just prior to icing
the bottle's tip, in order to facilitate the
sediment's
movement towards the neck.
3. Place the bottle upside down in ice
for at least 20 minutes (to effect the sediment's
freezing in the neck of the bottle).
4. Place the bottle in the bucket of
water in a downward position (as is illustrated by Ales
in the enclosed image at his Movia estate). After the
sediment is
released following the cork's removal (under water),
quickly cover the
bottle's opening with your thumb, returning it to an
upright position. As
pressure releases the cork and sediment, the water
is precluded from entering the bottle prior to its
being
covered.
Note: If you attempt to open it via the
conventional
approach, the bottle will
explode.
Sourced from 130-year-old
Pinot Nero vines and aged for two years in French
barriques, this limited production sparkler delivers
a savory element on the nose and juxtaposes honey
tones with minerality.
Movia
2000 Puro $46.20
Col Vetoraz NV Prosecco
(Veneto - Prosecco)
Prosecco is nothing if not pretentious, and the
terminology used to describe it
comprises a range of descriptors that position it in an
airy realm, below the heights
of the elite champenoise. The holidays,
however,
provide a context that elevates this standard and
always reliable bubbly, as it commences the
festivities with casual grace, prepping the palate for
its more substantive successors.
While Proseccos are mass produced and derived
primarily from the cost-efficient charmat
method,
there is far more to them than their modest origin
suggests. Of greatest significance, perhaps, is the
fact that the region accorded DOC status for the
production of Prosecco-Conegliano-Valdobbiadene-
is particularly conducive to the production of
sparkling wine. (Thus, Prosecco is hardly a
superfluous bubbly, but rather, a genuine expression
of an
area's features.)
The beneficent interaction between cool mountain
breezes and warm ocean influences creates a unique
environment that enables the Prosecco grapes to
retain both their acidity and aromatic expression. The
latter is particularly significant in the case of the
Prosecco grape, which typically lacks a pronounced
flavor profile. This natural source of quality
control is
supported and enhanced by the Veneto's School of
Viticulture and Enology, which has been one of Italy's
touchstones with regard to viticultural advancement
since its establishment in 1876. Although vineyards
within the Cartizze area are considered to produce
the DOC's premier Proseccos, achieving a more
pronounced expression, in the opinion of many,
Prosecco really represents a case wherein simple is
best.
Dedication and tradition are the essential elements
informing Col
Vetoraz's current status as a top producer of
sparkling wine. This
effusively fruity, light-bodied
offering gives off terrific floral notes and persistent
effervescence, complemented by hints of pears,
white wildflowers, and juicy peaches. Green melons
and citrus entice the palate; the finish is clean and
delicate, making this an ideal aperitif.
Col Vetoraz NV Prosecco $16.89
Villa Sparina NV Brut
(Piemonte - Cortese)
Piemonte legend has it that Princess Gavia married
Frankish king Clodomiro against the wishes of her
father. She and her bridegroom fled across Lombardia
to the land ruled by the Goths, but a local innkeeper
revealed their whereabouts to soldiers under
commission to find her. As the king subsequently
approved of the
marriage, the couple settled in this territory,
ruling as
vassals to Queen Amalasunta of the Goths. The area
was named for the princess, and the yellow-gold
wine produced here was named in her honor as well,
in tribute to her beautiful tresses. Historians of less
romantic persuasions hold that Val Lemme was
inhabited almost 2000 years ago by the Cavaturini
tribe, whose name derives from the tribe members'
caves. The land was called Cavium and
subsequently Gavium, eventually being
christened Gavi.
Gavi is made from the native white grape Cortese, a
vigorous vine that thrives in southeastern Piemonte's
Monferrato Hills, producing fresh wines of high acidity
with subtle flavors of apple, citrus, and honeysuckle.
Gavi earned DOC status in 1974, becoming Italy's
second DOCG white wine in 1998; it is now among
the region's top wines and overshadows Arneis and
Erbaluce, its neighboring whites. A sparkling version
of Gavi is also popular, as Cortese's profile is
particularly conducive to this expression.
The Villa Sparina estate is situated in the heart of
the Gavi district, and its Gavi di Gavi consistently
merits a place in IWM's portfolio. As harvest at Villa
Sparina is delayed as long as possible, the grapes
develop significant concentration while maintaining
Cortese's hallmark acidity.
Villa Sparina NV Brut $26.40
Tenuta Castellino 1999 Franciacorta Brut
(Lombardia - Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, & Pinot Blanc)
While the majority of
Italy's sparklers are crafted through metodo
charmat, a process that expedites production by
eliminating secondary fermentation in bottle, the
Franciacorta DOCG of the Lombardia region is a
prolific producer of méthode champenoise
sparkling
wines crafted from Chardonnay (the most planted),
Pinot Noir, and Pinot Bianco. In fact, the
traditional paradigm is the only one permitted, an
affiliation that its practitioners extend by
employing French terms on the labels. The cooling
breezes issuing from Lake Iseo modify the ripening
of the grapes, enabling them to maintain desirable
acidity while realizing greater aromatic complexity.
Castellino's castle sits at the foot of
Monte Orfano, and the estate possesses 24 hectares
(13 planted to vines)
in Coccaglio, one of Franciacorta's most prized
sites. This southern area enjoys a unique
terroir, marked by better exposures and
hotter
temperatures than those of
other zones. Experts and
students from the University of Milan routinely inspect
and marvel at Castellino's vines, which benefit from
nearly ideal ripening
patterns. Owners
Marino, Sandro, and Fausto Bonomi have
directed the estate's evolution, enabling it to realize
positioning as one of the
region's leading producers.
Castellino 1999 Franciacorta Brut $30.31
Bruno Giacosa 2001 Spumante Brut
(Lombardia - Pinot Noir)
Piemonte's Langhe hills also feature some notable
champenoise sparklers, with Pinot Noir and
Chardonnay serving as the principal varietal bases
of the region's dry sparkling wines. As the soil of
the Langhe is rich in limestone, the principal
constituent of the Champagne region's soil, it is
particularly conducive to the growth of Chardonnay.
Although Giacosa is one of Piemonte's foremost
producers (of Barolo and Barbaresco), he elects to
produce this 100 percent
Pinot Noir champenoise in Piemonte's neighboring
region of Lombardia-formerly a part of the official
Piemonte zone-specifically in the Oltrepò Pavese
zone. While many styles of wine are permitted
in this region, the DOC regulations specifically
provide for a méthode champenoise spumante
composed
of 70 percent Pinot Noir. In recent years, this region
has attracted the notice of Italian wine connoisseurs
and its terroir-marked by slopes rich in limestone-
supports the contention that the area is suited to
the production of wines of substance. Oltrepò
Pavese's local varieties include Riesling Renano,
Riesling Italico, and Uva Rara.
First bottled in 1983, the initial fermentation is
carried out in stainless steel. Following secondary
fermentation in bottle and hand riddling, the wine
ages on the lees for a period of 24 to 30 months
prior to release. Subtly delineated by scents of
fruit and yeast, Giacosa's Brut is elegant and
marked by a persistent perlage.
Bruno
Giacosa 2001 Spumante Brut $36.95
Bruno Giacosa 2001 Spumante Brut $79.95 (1.5L)
Valentino 1999 Brut Zero
(Piemonte - Chardonnay)
Situated in the Manzoni Soprani area of Monforte
d'Alba, Rocche dei Manzoni was originally established
in the 1700s, commencing its modern era in 1974,
when Valentino Migliorini and his wife, Jolanda,
purchased the old winery and its prized vineyards.
Hailing from Emilia, neither spoke the local dialect
and
were intially regarded as outsiders. Valentino's
viticultural accomplishments, however, eventually
earned him rare positioning in Barolo's patriarchy.
Initial production included Dolcetto, Barbera, and
Barolo, yet Valentino did not adhere to either the
area's traditional varietal constituency nor practices.
He was the first to plant Chardonnay (for his barrel-
fermented L'Angelica) and produced the
Langhe's
premiere blend-Bricco Manzoni (80 percent
Nebbiolo and 20 percent Barbera)- in 1976, for
which he employed small French oak barrels. The
current portfolio also includes Pinot Noir, several
blends featuring both local and international
varieties, a late-harvest wine, and two sparkling
wines.
Crafted in a crisp, dry style via the méthode
Champenoise, Brut Zero is Valentino's take on
vintage
Champagne. This particular version was aged over 36
months after bottling and
then refined in bottle for six months prior
to being released; it offers buttery aromas and a
generous perlage.
Valentino
1999 Brut Zero $41.25
Murgo Brut
(Sicilia - Nerello Mascalese)
The co-op era of Sicilia ended some time ago,
enabling this
province to pursue a quality wine regime in lieu of a
bulk production agenda. In fact, it is fair to
say that Sicilia, like Toscana's Maremma,
is inaugurating a new phase in Italian
winemaking.
Both the consistent weather conditions of the
South-low
rainfall, intense heat, and sunlight-and
plantings of international varietals have earned
Sicilia's wines
comparison to New World favorites. Old vineyards
have been restored and new ones planted, with many
producers selecting Chardonnay, Syrah, and
Cabernet Sauvignon in order to acquire international
recognition and support the introduction of
indigenous grapes-such as Nero d'Avola-to
enthusiasts.
The celebrity-like status of wineries such as Planeta
has brought more attention to the island, and
producers like Palari, Rapitalà, Santa Anastasia,
Donnafugata, and Murgo are bringing the indigenous
varietals of Sicilia (Nero d'Avola and Nerello
Mascalese) to the forefront.
The Murgo estate, which has been producing wines
since 1850, enjoys a privileged position southeast of
Mount Etna, thereby avoiding the fine sands that
typify the Etna province's terroir. Rather, the
soils
relevant to Murgo include a high proportion of
volcanic sands, which impart a distinct
minerality to the wine, as well as aromatic complexity
and
unusual finesse. In 1981 Baron Emanuele Scammacca
del Murgo modernized the estate in order to maximize
the qualitative integrity of his wines, and his sons
Michele, Pietro, and Matteo pursue the same
objective in their viticultural regime. This méthode
champenoise sparkler is made wholly from Sicilia's
Nerello Mascalese grape, and offers a delicate
mélange of flowers, crisp apples, and yeast,
exhibiting a fine
perlage.
Murgo
Brut $27.48
Forteto della Luja Moscato Passito
(Piemonte - Moscato)
In addition to Piemontese spumante
(illustrated by the Valentino bottling above), the Asti
DOCG
designation applies to Moscato d'Asti, a frizzante (by
virtue of its lower CO2 pressure) sparkler
that is slightly lower in alcohol than spumante.
Moscato is
generally a vibrant off-dry or sweet wine that
exudes fresh fruit within the context of a moderately
creamy texture. It is ideal as either a refreshing
aperitif or accompaniment to
cookies or biscotti.
Forteto della Luja, situated between the communes
of Canelli and Loazzolo in the Asti wine zone, is
renowned for its Moscato. This property has been
dedicated to
vines for centuries, claiming a
prominent position on the market only in 1985, when
neighbor and friend Giacomo Bologna encouraged the
owners to bottle a Moscato passito (vinified
from
dried
grapes). In 2005, Forteto
received
marked attention, becoming the first Piemontese
winery to run exclusively on solar energy.
Giancarlo Scaglione, a professor at the Enological
School of Alba and a practicing enologist at several
estates, crafts the wine at Forteto
della Luja. His son, Giovanni, cares for the
vineyards while his daughter, Silvia, manages the
business. Their highly respected line of wines
includes cult favorites Le Grive, a Barbera-
Pinot Nero blend, and a Brachetto passito.
Forteto della Luja Moscato Passito (Moscato) $44.69
Italian Sparklers Sampler
While many look to France for sparkling selections
given the cachet of its signature bottlings, Italy
nurtures a notable rapport with sparklers, as they as
they feature in everyday affairs. Thus, it offers
several value options in this requisite celebration
category that will have you toasting (Cin-
Cin).
In fact, nearly all of Italy's regions produce
sparkling
wine, offering a vast array of styles testifying to the
Boot's facility with bubbles. Lombardia and Piemonte
craft méthode champenoise bottlings (with
the profiled Tenuta
Castellino offering an
exceptional example from the former's Franciacorta
zone); the Veneto delivers its signature
Prosecco, the traditional opening to an Italian meal;
and other areas, such as Sicilia, employ their
indigenous varietals, adding their signature to Italy's
starry set.
Italian Sparklers Sampler
1. Col Vetoraz NV Prosecco
2. Murgo NV Brut
3. Tenuta Castellino 1999 Franciacorta
4. Movia 2000 Puro
5. Villa Sparina NV Brut
6. Valentino 1999 Brut Zero
Italian
Sparklers Six-Pack (6) $188.53
Italian
Sparklers Tasting Case (12-two of each) $346.90
Shipping Note: IWM recommends placing your
Italian Sparklers Sampler order by
3:00 p.m. EST Wednesday, December 27, and
selecting
two-day
shipping in order to ensure arrival before New
Year's
Eve.
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