Sparkling Wines To Celebrate Valentine's Day With (Or To Simply Enjoy)

This fall I went to a presentation of sparkling wines in Viareggio, on the Tuscan coast. It was interesting, because rather than focus on a particular kind of wine, there was everything from light, spritzy Prosecco through much more serious, well aged Franciacorta and Champagne. I had a great time, and for New Year's I presented a selection of the wines that impressed me most, limiting myself to one wine per winery.

Most of the wineries presented more than one wine, however, and many of the other wines were almost as impressive as what I selected. So here are the rest of my notes, just in time to help you decide what to break out for Valentine's Day. Or anything else in the coming months that will benefit from Bubbly Bollicine.

The wines, in (roughly) the order I tasted them:

Casale Falchini Metodo Classico Millesimato 2003
Pale greenish brassy gold with brassy reflections and fine perlage. Elegant bouquet with breadcrumbs and minerality mingled with dappled shade and tropical fruit that adds richness. On the palate full, rich, with bright mineral-laced fruit that gives way to a long mineral finish with savory accents that gains depth from peppery sparkle. Quite pleasant in a slightly decadent key, and will work well with rich risotti, creamy fish, or white meats.
88-90

Negro Angelo e Figli
Negro Angelo e Figli Metodo Classico Millesimato 2004
This is a blend of pinot nero and chardonnay; it's pale brassy yellow with brassy reflections and fine perlage, and has a delicate bouquet with clean slightly greenish minerality and hardwood ash mingled with some savory notes. On the palate it's clean, and delicate, with deft mineral laced white berry fruit that's supported by fine creamy sparkle and gains direction from savory accents. It will be pleasant as an aperitif or with delicate fish or cheese based dishes.
2 stars

Giovanni Negro Roero Arneis Extra Brut 2004
Lively gold with brassy reflections and fine perlage. The bouquet is clean, with deft floral accents and some bitter almond; the overall impression is welcoming. On the palate it's full, and rich, with lively white berry fruit supported by clean acidity and an underlying savory bitterness that is characteristic of Arneis, and flows into a clean bitter finish brightened by minerality. Pleasant, and willdrink well with foods, for example creamy risotti -- shrimp and asparagus both come to mind -- or with fish or white meats.
2 stars

Carpené Malvolti
Carpené Malvolti Kerner Brut
Carpené is known for Prosecco, but also makes this from a grape in the Alto Adige. Pale brassy white with brassy reflections and fine perlage. Rich, elegant bouquet with honeysuckle, citric acidity, and underlying sweetness. On p full and soft, with pleasant slightly bitter gooseberry fruit supported by citric acidity that flows into a clean bitter finish, while the sparkle contributes pleasing softness. Quite welcoming, and will be nice as an aperitif or with delicate vegetable or mild cheese dishes.
88-90

Carpené Malvolti Promotico Brut
Promotico is an autochthonous grape from the highlands between the Abruzzo and the Marche, in the south, which Carpené Malvolti has recently begun to work with. The wine is pale brassy yellow with fine perlage, and has a fairly rich bouquet with greenish citric accents and some vegetal overtones. Pleasant, and quite lively. On the palate it's clean and rich, with fairly intense chewy citric fruit that gains depth from greenish accents and fullness from sparkle, and flows into a clean citric finish. Elegant, and with respect to Kerner has more backbone; it will drink well with creamy first course dishes for example pasta with flavorful green vegetable sauces (artichokes come to mind given the season), or with savory grilled fish.
2 stars

Carpené Malvolti Prosecco di Conegliano
This is the Carpené wine one most commonly sees; it's pale brassy white with fine perlage, and has a delicate bouquet with floral accents and clean white fruit, a combination of apples and pears that gains depth from savory accents. Welcoming. On the palate it's full, with clean white pear that gains direction from savory minerality and peppery sparkle, and flows into a clean fruit laced finish. Pleasant and fresh, and will drink well as an aperitif or far from the table -- I'd have liked a little more acidity to serve it with foods.
2 stars

Carpené Malvolti Rosé
This is a blend of Pinot Nero and Raboso that is partially dried; it's pale pink with fine pink reflections and bright perlage, and has a fairly rich bouquet with red berry fruit supported by raspberry acidity and hints of bread crumbs, with underlying marzipan that's from the partial drying of the Raboso. Deft. On the palate it's clean, with fairly bright berry fruit supported by sparkle and minerality that flow into a clean berry fruit finish with mineral acidity. Pleasant in a very fresh way, and will drink well as an aperitif, or with fish or creamy white meats; chicken with mushrooms comes to mind.
2 stars

Carpené Malvolti Metodo Classico Brut Millesimato 2004
Disgorged in 2007; This is a Pinot Nero. It's pale brassy gold with brassy reflections and fine perlage,and has a deft nose, with fairly rich minerality mingling with wet bread crumbs and underlying acidity with slight greenish accents. On the palate it's clean and bright, with deft minerality supported by clean savory accents that flow into a clean, fairly long slightly bitter finish. Quite pleasant, and will drink very well with foods, ranging from flavorful, not too fatty grilled or roasted fish through creamy white meats.
88-90

Il Calepino
Il Calepino Brut Metodo Classico
This is a Chardonnay, and spent 36 months on the lees. Lively gold with brassy reflections, and has a fairly rich bouquet with gunflint minerality laced with vegetal accents and some butterscotch. Nice balance. On the palate it's bright, with lively minerality supported by the sparkle, which confers a salty feel, and flows into a clean savory finish with gunflint bitterness. Quite approachable, combining complexity with a brightness that will make you sip and sip again.
88-90

Valcalepino Fra Ambrogio 2001
This is a Chardonnay-Pino Nero blend that spent 5 years on the lees; it's lively gold with fine perlage, and has a rich, powerful bouquet with bread crumbs and minerality laced with marzipan and bitter almonds, with all held together by slightly greenish gunflint. Nice balance, but brooding. On the palate it's full and rich, with powerful white berry fruit supported by ample savory minerality from pinot nero, with clean acidity and the zest of the sparkle to hold it up. It's elegant but particular, and you have to like the more mature style of sparkling wine to enjoy it. If you do, it is quite nice.
2 stars

Tenuta Bonomi Castellini
Tenuta Bonomi Castellini Franciacorta Brut
Pale brassy gold with brassy reflections and fine intense perlage. The bouquet is fairly rich, with clean citric acidity and hints of marzipan supported by some gunflint. Nice balance and has quite a bit to say. On the palate it's clean, with bright minerality and crisp apple fruit supported by clean mineral acidity that flows into a clean finish. Quite nice, and will drink well with foods, especially creamy risotti, or white meats. Very pleasant, and quite approachable.
Score: 88-90

Tenuta Bonomi Castellini Franciacorta Satèn
Non-vintage. Pale brassy gold with brassy reflections and fine perlage. The bouquet is fairly intense, with greenish accents and butterscotch mingled with slight bread crumbs and underlying green apple. Elegant. On the palate it's ample and soft, with clean fairly rich minerality and citric acidity supported by the sparkle, which flows into a clean slightly bitter finish. Quite approachable, but doesn't have the depth of the brut. This is not a defect, because Satèn is supposed to be simpler and more approachable than Brut; it will be nice either before or during the meal.
2 stars

La Scolca
La Scolca Metodo Classico Brut
Pale brassy yellow with fine perlage and brassy highlights. The nose is clean, with fairly rich bread crumbs mingled with lemon fruit and powerful gunflint. Considerable depth. On the palate it's clean, and rich, with powerful acidity supporting greenish lemon fruit, while the sparkle adds considerable peppery spice, and it all flows into a clean bitter finish. Bracing and quite pleasant; it will drink very well with white meats, be they from the sea or the land.
88-90

La Scolca D'Antan 1995
Pale brassy gold with brassy highlights and fine perlage. The bouquet is rich and complex, with smoke and bitterness mingled with balsamic notes, hints of petroleum, and pleasing acidity. Great depth. On the palate it's rich and full with bright acidity and an abundance of bread crumbs supported by marzipan and toasted bread crust, while the sparkle is soft and welcoming. It's a wine one could have a long conversation with, and Well worth seeking out.
Score: 93

La Scolca Gavi Metodo Classico Brut 2000
Pale greenish gold with brassy greenish reflections, and fine perlage. The bouquet is fairly rich, with bread crumbs mingling with crushed almonds and hints of marzipan sweetness, together with dried figs and hints of hardwood ash. Considerable depth. On the palate it's full and rich, with fairly bright minerality supported by lively peppery spice from the sparkle -- August 200 was scorching; there isn't as much acidity as there would be in a cooler year, and as a result the wine is more an interplay of bitterness and minerality than acidity and minerality, and comes across as a bit flatter than usual. In short, pleasant, but suffers the vintage; because of its power and bitter pepperiness I would think about serving it with oysters, perhaps.
2 stars

Guido Berlucchi
Guido Berlucchi Cellarius Brut 2004
Pale brassy white with brassy reflections, slight greenish highlights, and fairly fine perlage. The bouquet is fairly rich, with gunflint and minerality mingled with some crushed almonds and green apple; the combination brings to mind dappled shade. On the palate it's medium bodied, with fairly bright crisp apple fruit supported by lively green apple acidity and sparkle that finishes up quickly, making the wine seem short as well, though the apple acidity does carry on past it. Because of the way the sparkle fades and because it is quite palate cleansing, I would drink it with foods, rather than by itself. In the proper setting it will be quite nice.
1 star

Guido Berlucchi Cellarius Rosé 2003
Pale onion skin with fine intense perlage. The bouquet is bright, with rich acidity and some raspberry fruit supported by sparkle and bread crumbs, with intriguing hints of mint as well. On the palate it's full, with delicate raspberry fruit that gains depth from bitter mineral acidity and is also supported by sparkle that confers peppery spice, leading into a clean savory raspberry finish. Pleasing, and will drink nicely as an aperitif or with succulent white meats.
2 stars

Berlucchi Cuvée Storica Franciacorta Brut
Pale papery white with brassy reflections and fine perlage. The bouquet is fairly rich, and vinous, with bread crumbs and butterscotch with minerality and buttered toast, with hints of brown sugar and some greenish accents. Complex. On the palate it's full, and bright, with clean somewhat sour white berry fruit supported by greenish accents and peppery sparkle that flow into a clean finish. It's pleasant enough, though a touch settled and not as light on its feet as Berlucchi's other wines.
2 stars

Fratelli Berlucchi
Fratelli Berlucchi Franciacorta Brut 2003
Pale brassy yellow with brassy reflections and fine perlage. The bouquet is fairly rich, with butterscotch and hints of winter squash supported by airy minerality and slight gunflint. On the palate it's full, with fairly rich bitter minerality and underlying very ripe sour melon supported by clean sparkle, and some bitterness that flows into a clean mineral finish. It's softer than one would expect of a Franciacorta Brut, and this is an effect of the hot 2003 summer, which drove down acidities.
1 star

Fratelli Berlucchi Ftanciacorta Satèn 2003
Pale brassy yellow with fine perlage. The bouquet is fairly rich, with greenish accents and vegetal notes laced with savory minerality and bread crumbs, and underlying hardwood ash. On the palate it's full, soft, and bright, with citric ct supported by clean fairly sweet mineral acidity that flows into a long clean finish. Pleasant, and though it does display the overripeness typical of the 2003 vintage, it has dealt with it well, and will drink well as an aperitif or perhaps with a cheesy risotto, because the bitterness that emerges in the finish gives nice definition.
2 stars

Fratelli Berlucchi Franciacorta Pas Dosé 2003
Lively brassy gold with brassy greenish reflections, gold highlights, and fine perlage. The bouquet is fairly rich, with butterscotch and clean winter squash and some underlying vegetal acidity. On the palate it's full and dry, with moderately intense minerality that gains support from sparkle and some acidity; to be frank I'd have liked more, because it isn't as tight as it could have been.
1 star

Astoria
Astoria Prosecco di Valdobbiadene 2006
Pale greenish white with brassy highlights and reflections, and fairly fine perlage. The bouquet is fresh, with green apples and lively acidity; the effect is direct and pleasant. On the palate it's equally fresh, with rich green apple supported by acidity and sparkle that confers peppery spice, and flows into a clean crisp apple finish. Pleasant, and will drink well as an aperitif, with cold cuts, or with first course dishes.
2 stars

Astoria 20° Anniversario Prosecco di Conegliano 2006
This is a one-time label for the wine, which is pale golden green with greenish highlights and fairly fine perlage. The bouquet is powerful and fresh, with crisp green apples and some greenish vegetal accents. Quite nice. On the palate it's bright, with lively apple fruit that gains depth from apple acidity that has slight bitter accents, and flows into a clean apple finish. Quite refreshing, and will drink nicely as an aperitif or with foods --it's not quite a tutto pasto, an Italian expression meaning it will go with anything, but will work very well with cheese based antipasti, cold cuts, and cheese sauces in general. Worth seeking out.
2 stars

Astoria Prosecco di Valdobbiadene Superiore Di Cartizze 2006
Pale brassy gold with greenish reflections and fine perlage. Deft bouquet with clean crisp apple fruit supported by hints of chalk and some minty herbal spice that adds considerable depth. On palate full and bright with crisp apple fruit supported by clean mineral acidity that flows into a clean bracing apple finish. Nice as an aperitif, and it will also be nice at a cookout with grilled fish or vegetables.
88-90

Azienda Agricola Caseo
Azienda Agricola Caseo Gioia Oltrepò Pavese 2003
This is a 70-30 blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Nero and is lively gold with greenish reflections, and fine perlage. The bouquet is fairly rich, with greenish vegetal accents mingled with winter squash and gunflint minerality that confers bitterness. Fairly rich on the palate, and though brut not too dry; there's fairly rich bittersweet apple fruit shot with butterscotch and supported by soft peppery notes from sparkle. Very approachable, of the come-hither sort, and will work very well as an aperitif. It's an excellent choice if you're entertaining people who are new to sparkling wines.
2 stars

Azienda Agricola Caseo Oltrepò Pavese Pinot Nero 2003
Onion skin rose with some salmon accents and fine perlage. The bouquet is bright, with wet bread crumbs and yeasts mingled with acidity and clean spice. Quite a bit going on in a harmonious way. On the palate it's bright, with lively dry blackberry fruit laced with bitter acidity, while the sparkle adds considerable depth and flows into a clean bitter savory finish. Pleasant, and though one could drink it as an aperitif it will work better with foods, ranging from creamy risotto through creamy, succulent white meats. Quite nice.
2 stars

Azienda Agricola Caseo Gran Cuvée Pas Dosée 2001
Lively gold with brassy greenish reflections and fine perlage. Rich nose with elegant citric fruit shot with butterscotch and hints of winter squash that sound odd but work. Considerable depth. On palate full, with bright white berry fruit supported by minerality and some tropical fruit, with pleasing acidity, which flows into a clean butterscotch finish with greenish accents and peppery spice. Quite nice, and will drink very well with foods. The Oltrepo has great potential and here we see it.
90

Azienda Agricola Caseo Extra Dry Blanc De Blancs Oltrepò Pavese 2002
This is a barrel fermented Chardonnay that then spends 48 months on the lees, and is lively brassy gold with gold highlights and fine perlage. The nose is powerful, with petroleum and mineral accents mixed into intense greenish notes. Particular. On the palate it's full, and rich, with clean crisp apple fruit supported by warm apple acidity that gains depth from smoke and hits of petroleum, while the sparkle is fine and peppery, flowing into a clean tart finish with hardwood ash bitterness. It's interesting,and much better than one might expect given the reputation of 2002; if you like mature sparkling wines you will enjoy it.
2 stars

Capoferri
Capoferri Franciacorta Brut
Non-vintage, but a 2002
Pale brassy gold with brassy reflections and fine perlage. The bouquet is fairly rich, with bright bitter apple mingled with gunflint and underlying bitterness and sea salt. On the palate it's bright, with lively lemony apple fruit supported by sparkle and clean bracing acidity that flow into a clean, almost citric finish. Pleasant in a food key -- I think it's too acidic to work as an aperitif -- and will drink well with succulent grilled fish, or even fried fish.
2 stars

Capoferri Franciacorta Brut 2005
Lively brassy gold with brassy reflections and fine perlage. The bouquet is fairly intense, with bitter petroleum-laced minerality mingled with citric acidity and gunflint. Graceful. On the palate it's full and bright, with lively citric fruit supported by minerality and tart apple skin that flows into a clean tart finish with some vegetal accents. Quite pleasant, in a graceful key; it has quite a bit to say and invites one to sit and chat for a spell.
2 stars

Cantine Scuropasso
Cantine Scuropasso Pinot Nero Brut Oltrepò Pavese
Non-Vintage; it's pale brassy yellow with brassy highlights, and has a fairly rich bouquet with greenish vegetal accents mingled with winter squash, overripe lemon, and warm mineral acidity. On the palate it's medium bodied and crisp, with clean bright apple fruit supported by minerality and clean acidity, while the sparkle adds fullness and peppery spicy accents, and it all flows into a clean mineral finish with lasting bitterness. Pleasant, and will drink nicely as an aperitif or with grilled fish or creamy white meats, from the land or the sea. In other words, versatile.
2 stars

Andreola Orsola
Andreola Orsola Extra Dry Valdobbiadene Prosecco
Pale greenish brassy yellow with fine perlage. The bouquet is rich, with apple fruit mingled with floral accents and hints of honeysuckle. Inviting. On the palate it's bright, with rich apple fruit that's not as sweet as the nose suggests supported by renette apple acidity that flows into a clean fresh apple finish, while the sparkle, which is smooth, adds acidity and tart accents. Pleasant in a direct way and will be nice at table with simple white foods, fish or meat, and as an aperitif. It will go quickly.
1 star

Andreola Orsola Dirupo Valdobbiadene Prosecco Brut
Pale gold with brassy reflections and fine perlage. The bouquet is fairly rich, with apples and floral accents and overlying coolness; the overall impression is quite fresh. On the palate it's clean, and bright, with lively apple fruit supported by dry apple minerality that flows into a clean finish that gains depth from peppery sparkle. Pleasant, and will work nicely as an aperitif or with simple richly flavored foods, ranging from pasta with vegetable sauces through white meats, from either sea or land.
2 stars

Andreola Orsola Valdobbiadene Prosecco Millesimato Dry 2006
Pale brassy yellow with brassy reflections. Rich bouquet with deft crisp apple fruit supported by floral accents, and though it's quick to say there's great depth. On palate full, with bright apple fruit that's crisp but not acidic, gaining depth from the sparkle, which adds volume and flows into clean apple finish. Quite pleasant and will be very nice as an aperitif or at poolside. Carefree pleasure in a glass.
88-90

Andreola Orsola Valdobbiadene Prosecco Cartizze
Pale brassy yellow withfine perlage. The bouquet is rich, with apple and floral accents laced with hints of mint; it's quite inviting and very fresh. On the palate it's full and bright, with pleasant crisp apple fruit supported by clean bright acidity that flows into a clean crisp finish with (again) apple overtones. Quite pleasant, and will drink nicely as an aperitif though I'd be tempted to open it with friends far from the table.
88-90

Le Bertole
Le Bertole Prosecco Valdobbiadene Extra Dry
Pale brassy yellow with brassy highlights and fairly fine perlage. The bouquet is fairly rich, with bright apple fruit interlaced with dried apples and supported by minerality and some cut flowers. On the palate it's fairly rich, with bright apple fruit supported by clean crisp golden delicious acidity of the sort one finds in just-ripe apples, and by smooth sweet sparkle. Pleasant, and will drink quite well as an aperitif. Worth seeking out.
2 stars

Villa
Villa Diamant Franciacorta Pas Dosé 2002
Brassy gold with fine intense perlage. Rich bouquet with butterscotch and some minerality with hints green apple. Great depth, and very tight. On palate bright, with clean rich minerality supported by sparkle and savory accents with mineral-citric acidity that flows into a clean savory finish with underlying bitterness. It demands and holds one's attention. Wow!
92

Anteo
Anteo Martinotti
This wine is named after Federico Martinotti, a researcher at the Istituto Sperimentale di Enologia in Asti, who, in 1895, devised a technique for adding sparkle to large volumes of wine by inducing the secondary fermentation in tanks capable of withstanding the pressure, and then keeping the wine under pressure through the bottling (the idea was patented in 1907 by a Frenchman, Charmat). Anteo is in the Oltrepò Pavese, where Pinot Nero was first planted in Italy, and this is an 85-15% blend of Pinot Nero and Chardonnay that spends a year in autoclave; it's pale brassy white with brassy reflections and fairly fine perlage, and has a fairly rich bouquet with ripe apple fruit mingled with some marzipan and hints of brown sugar sweetness. On the palate it's light, and deft, with fairly bright bitter minerality supported by moderate acidity and clean sparkle that flows intoa clean, slightly bitter finish. Quite direct, in a pleasing way, and will drink nicely as an aperitif or with simple egg or cheese-based dishes.
1 star

Anteo Brut Metodo Classico
This is an 85-15 Pinot Nero Chardonnay blend, and spends 36 months on the lees. It's pale brassy gold with greenish highlights and fine perlage. The bouquet is deft, mi mineral and savory accents mingled with slight hints of mint and chalk. On the palate it's fresh and direct, with clean crisp apple and white berry fruit supported by sparkle and moderate mineral acidity that gains depth from crisp apple. It will drink nicely as an aperitif or with foods that aren't too rich.
2 stars

Anteo Rosé
This is a Pinot Nero, and is pale onion skin pink with onion skin reflections and fine perlage. The bouquet is moderately intense, revealing red berry fruit, some acidity, and a fair amount of alcohol; it had been disgorged recently when I tasted it and I would expect it to be more intense now. On the palate it's fairly full, and direct, with clean red berry fruit supported by smooth sparkle and deft acidity. It will drink well with foods.
2 stars

Anteo Metodo Classico Nature
This is a Pinot Nero pas dosé, and is pale brassy white with brassy reflections; the perlage is fine. Clean bouquet with minerality and some greenish vegetal notes mingled with acidity and some gunflint. On palate clean and deft, with bright minerality supported by sparkle and clean bitter accents. Quite nice, and will drink well with foods, from fish to creamy white meats. Lots to say in a crisp mineral key.
88-90

Vazart Coquart
Vazart Coquart Spécial Foie Gras Champagne
This is called foie gras because they think it's a good match. It's pale brassy gold with fine perlage, and has an elegant nose with gunflint and butterscotch mingled with marzipan and some dried fruit. On palate it's full and rich, with honeysuckle and candied fruit supported by peppery sparkle and clean mineral acidity that flows into a fairly sweet finish. Quite elegant, and more delicate than vibrant, with an intriguing decadence to it as well. Not Brut (their Brut is good too), but very nice.
88-90

Conte Vistarino
Conte Vistarino Oltrepò Pavese Pinot Brut
Pale brassy yellow with fine perlage; the bouquet is clean and bright with some bitter gunflint accents; the overall impression is pleasant. On the palate it's clean, and again bright, with pleasant minerality and mineral acidity that flows into a fairly bitter finish. It will drink nicely as an aperitif or with crustaceans.
2 stars

Conte Vistarino Cuvée della Rocca Pinot Nero Brut Oltrepò Pavese
Pale brassy white with brassy reflections and fine perlage. The bouquet is bright, and mineral with clean acidity mingled with gunflint and bread crumbs. Nice balance. On the palate it's clean and bright, with lively mineral acidity and clean citric notes that flow into a clean bitter finish, while the sparkle adds depth. Elegant, and will drink well as an aperitif or with succulent fish, or creamy white meats.
2 stars

Conte Vistarino Oltrepò Pavese Pinot Nero Millesimato Metodo Classico Brut 2003
Brassy gold with fine perlage; the bouquet is rich, with bread crumbs and hints of damp toast mingled with warmth and gunflint that brings to mind a hammer striking granite, with underlying mineral acidity. On the palate it's full and dry with bright gunflint minerality and considerable body derived from both acidity and sparkle, which flows into a clean fairly bitter finish. Pleasant, and though it does seem a little softer than it might in a cooler vintage, it displays considerable depth, and is quite pleasant.
2 stars