Methius Brut Riserva 2008

The Dorigati family has been making wine for over 150 years. The ‘caneva’ (cellar) for aging is in Mezzocorona and dates back to the beginning of the 20th century and is completely underground with arched ceilings. Cousins Paolo and Michele, together with their uncle Franco, run the estate and while they produce many still wines, they make only one sparkling wine using the traditional method: Methius. It first came out in 1986, the brainchild of two enologists and friends, Carlo Dorigati (Paolo’s father) and Enrico Paternoster. This is a bubbly of great class that is only produced as a Riserva. The blend is 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir, with some of the Chardonnay fermenting in barriques. It is bottled in the spring and then spends 60 months on the less.
The color is a clear, golden-yellow with shiny, green reflections. The bubbles are very tiny and dance long in the glass. Both the aroma and the flavor of this Riserva stand out for their finesse and how sumptuous they are. The bouquet is complex and vertical with notes of toasted almond, eucalyptus, grapefruit and citron, yellow plum, mountains herbs and oriental spice. The bold and typical minerality is also in the mouthfeel that has a precise and impetuous attack with its acidity and sapidity nicely balanced by softness and structure. A captivating bubbly that gives never-ending pleasure.