When you sit where we sit, you see all kinds of things that are somewhat off the beaten path for most folks, and you have to occasionally be political because the wines that some people present you are their passion or life’s work. That comes up often with some things, notably the Italian higher-end sparkling wine area known as Franciacorta. Italians love sparkling wine and are very proud of the wines from this region.
Frankly, they are a cut above typical Italian bubbles like Prosecco. But, as a quick generalization, they mainly perform at a compulsory level and typically don’t offer the nuances of terroir aspects of ‘real’ Champagne, but are mostly priced to compete at the same level. When someone pulls a Franciacorta out of their bag, we kind of silently think to ourselves “another OK sparkler that is priced beyond performance.” We don’t usually buy into the Franciacorta is like Champagne rhetoric. We are telling you that because, to our surprise, this time it was different.
The Monte Rossa wines are the complete package. Both of these have the classic fine bead one expects in a premier bubbly, and exceptional balance. But they don’t stop there. There are exciting, fun drinks that show personality and that we can honestly recommend as something to consider as an alternative to real Champagne, something we have rare occasion to do.
The Monte Rossa Franciacorta Brut Blanc de Blancs P.R. NV is produced from 100% Chardonnay, 35% of which is reserve wine, from manually harvested grapes. The grapes are gently pressed and then partially raised in controlled stainless steel, the rest in barrels, after which they see a minimum of 2 years in bottle. Small, energetic bead, insistent apple/pear fruit on the palate with some underlying minerality from the soils, this was a surprise.
Nice notes from Vinous’ Ian D’Igata, “Bright straw. Refined aromas of peach, quince and savory herbs. Then rich, dense and multilayered, offering precise flavors of fresh citrus and orchard fruit. Finishes long and creamy, but bright, and with above-average complexity. Well done…92 Points.”
The Blnc de Blanc really got our attention but, truth be told, it was the rose that got sealed the deal for us. The Monte Rossa Franciacorta Rosé Flamingo NV is a blend of 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir with all of the other components being handled the same. Lots of joyous ripe strawberry here both in the nose and flavor, fine bubbles and a rather gregarious personality. They refer to it as Flamingo and the ‘rose that never sleeps’ as there is a story where the proprietors of the winery spent time in Las Vegas with Frank Sinatra.
That’s the end of our ‘People Magazine’ edge to the story. For us it’s always about the juice, which is pleasing stuff. From Ian d’Igata of Vinous, “Luminous salmon-pink. Strawberry and violet on the enticing nose. Enters saline and fleshy, offering small red berry and cherry flavors that turn slightly austere on the long finish, which features repeating violet and raspberry nuances. Very pretty wine complicated by a lingering mineral element...92 points.”
As the opening paragraph might indicate, it is pretty unusual for us to recommend Franciacortas because the price/performance interplays are typically not quite what we are looking for. These, however, are really fun beverages, with kind of ‘party in a bottle’ personalities, and really deliver vis-a-vis other sparkling wine alternative at these prices.