Ferrari’s vintage blanc de noirs is 100 percent Pinot Noir grown in the Dolomite vineyards of Villa Margon, Maso Orsi, and Maso Valli. A traditional method sparkler—in Italian método classico—the wine spends at least six years en tirage. The 2008 is the current vintage in the market; this bottle was disgorged in 2015.
I love Ferrari’s wines. And, full disclosure, I was a guest at their winery and vineyard in 2013, an experience that turned me into an acolyte of mountain viticulture and cold climate sparkling winemaking. Here’s a photo of me in their young vineyard above Villa Margon:
While Perlé Nero is not Ferrari’s prestige vintage cuvée—that’s the Giulio Ferrari Riserva Fondatore—this millesimato sparkler is at the top of their line-up. It’s toasty, offering a heady scent of roasted hazelnuts, brioche, and pastry. It’s fruity, suggesting tawny Bosc pear, tart strawberry, and ripe raspberry (if you close your eyes you can readily imagine it’s a rosé). The mousse is very fine, creamy and prickly all at once, but as the foam subsides the wine explodes in savoriness and a sense of hazelnuts, again, bringing the experience full circle.
Superbly well-crafted and delicious now, it will continue to evolve in bottle for many years. It’s a sublime celebratory wine to toast special occasions, but it also has the substance to be poured throughout the meal. Try it with roasted poultry, meaty fish, or a mixed cheese course scattered with nuts and dried fruits.
2008 Fratelli Lunelli Ferrari Perlé Nero Trentodoc
12.5% abv | about $80 (sample) Imported by Palm Bay International
