Contratto
Alta Langa Blanc de Blancs Pas Dosé 2022
| Denomination | DOCG Alta Langa |
|---|---|
| Size | 0,75 l |
| Alcohol content | 12.5% by volume |
| Area | Piedmont (Italy) |
| Grape varieties | 100% Chardonnay |
| Aging | Minimum 36 months on the lees before the first disgorgement; manual riddling for about 4 weeks. |
- Name and variety: Alta Langa DOCG, Blanc de Blancs from 100% Chardonnay
- Dosage and style: Pas Dosé with no added sugars, suitable for vegans
- Production method: second fermentation in the bottle with hand-picked grapes
- Ageing and riddling: minimum 36 months on the lees, manual riddling for 4 weeks
- Aromatic profile and perlage: notes of citron and acacia honey, fine and persistent bubbles, savoury taste
Description
What kind of wine it is
Alta Langa Blanc de Blancs Pas Dosé by Contratto is a sparkling wine made using the Traditional Method from Piedmont, expressing the purity of Chardonnay. Free from added sugars, it appears in the glass with a golden yellow colour and a fine perlage. The bouquet combines clear notes of citron, acacia honey and strawberry tree, supported by a delicate underlying toastiness. On the palate, it is vertical and savoury, perfectly balanced by a pleasant creamy texture that gives dynamism and clarity to this vegan wine, designed to offer a taut and elegant profile.
Where it comes from
The grapes are grown in Piedmont, among the vineyards of Bossolasco and Canelli, within the prestigious Alta Langa denomination. In this specific pedoclimatic context, the Contratto winery interprets Chardonnay by making the most of soils and altitudes ideal for sparkling wine production. The natural vocation of these hills allows the bunches to maintain excellent acidic freshness, a fundamental pillar for the structure of this Blanc de Blancs. The result is an authentic and precise expression of the Piedmontese territory.
How it is produced
Production begins at the end of August with the manual harvesting of the bunches, which are cooled in the winery to preserve the aromatic profile before whole bunch pressing. After fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks, the base wines mature until May. Once the blend is created, the wine undergoes a second fermentation in the bottle, strictly following the Traditional Method. Ageing involves at least thirty-six months on the lees before disgorgement, accompanied by four weeks of manual remuage to achieve a perfectly dry and precise profile.
History and Curiosities
Founded in 1867, the Contratto winery celebrates its history and passion for sparkling wines with this spumante, offering a true tribute to Piedmontese and Italian sparkling wine tradition. The bottle also stands out for its touch of vintage charm, thanks to an artistic illustration depicting a person with a large champagne glass.
Tasting notes
Perlage
Perfume
Color
Taste
Serve at:
06 - 08 °C
Longevity:
05 - 10 years
- Start up year: 1867
- Oenologist: Andrea Rivetti
- Bottles produced: 180.000
- Hectares: 40
Around 1910 Contratto began to export their wines. Contratto had great success in foreign markets, and the winery became synonymous with prestige and quality in the world of sparkling wines, so much so that the winery became the official wine supplier for the Vatican, the Belgian Royal Family, and in 1913 the Royal Family of Savoy. In 1919 Contratto produced its first vintage Italian sparkling, an innovative choice on the part of the Piedmontese sparkling house that aimed to highlight a single vintage's characteristics.
The Contratto family remained at the company's helm until 1993, when the Bocchino family, who owned a distillery of the same name, took the reigns of Contratto. The Bocchino family set forth the work of restoring the Wine Cathedral, the internal courtyard, and the tasting room.
Giorgio Rivetti, a huge fan of Champagne, began collaborating with the Bocchino family and immediately realized the great potential of the historic sparkling house. Shortly after, in 2011, the Rivetti family decided to take an important step and purchased the winery. This new project immediately reflects the philosophy and passion that made La Spinetta famous. A fundamental decision was directly taken: acquiring several hectares of land, some under vine, close to the little town of Bossolaso. Situated in the highest part of the Langhe, the Bossolasco zone lends itself perfectly to the cultivation of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. These grapes are used in the production of the Alta Langa DOCG. This marks the official entry of Contratto in the Consortium of Alta Langa, and Contratto becomes the reference point for the entire denomination. Read more
| Name | Contratto Alta Langa Blanc de Blancs Pas Dose 2022 |
|---|---|
| Type | White organic classic method sparkling wine pas dosé |
| Denomination | Alta Langa DOCG |
| Vintage | 2022 |
| Size | 0,75 l |
| Alcohol content | 12.5% by volume |
| Grape varieties | 100% Chardonnay |
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Piedmont |
| Vendor | Contratto |
| Story | History and Curiosities Founded in 1867, the Contratto winery celebrates its history and passion for sparkling wines with this spumante, offering a true tribute to Piedmontese and Italian sparkling wine tradition. The bottle also stands out for its touch of vintage charm, thanks to an artistic illustration depicting a person with a large champagne glass. |
| Origin | Canelli (AT), Piemonte |
| Harvest | Last week of August |
| Fermentation | Minimum 36 months until the first disgorgement |
| Production technique | Classic method (traditional method with secondary fermentation in the bottle) |
| Wine making | Manual harvesting at the end of August with cooling of the grape bunches in the cellar and whole bunch pressing; alcoholic fermentation in stainless steel tanks at controlled temperature with maturation of the base wines until May, then blending and bottling. Second fermentation in the bottle according to the Traditional Method, ageing on the lees for at least 36 months before the first disgorgement and manual riddling for about 4 weeks; Pas Dosé with no added sugars. |
| Aging | Minimum 36 months on the lees before the first disgorgement; manual riddling for about 4 weeks. |
| Total acidity | 6.5 gr/L |
| Allergens | Contains sulphites |