Trentino: visit to Ferrari

 Ferrari: entrance to the winery complex

Our second visit was to Ferrari, who stand way above the other Trentodoc producers in terms of quality. (More text to add.)

Ferrari: museum of old implements in the cellar (above and below)

 

Degorging machine specially commissioned from France – made of silver to avoid spoiling wine!

 Ferrari Trento DOC: bottles sur latte 

Camilla Lunelli amongst the stainless steel vat

 Marcello Ferrari tasting

 Signor George thru several glasses

Camilla and Marcello Lunelli: the two cousins

'Bollicine su Trento'*: visit to Maso Martis

View of the landscape from close to Maso Martis winery

We had five visits to Trentino producers yesterday starting with the 12 ha estate of Maso Martis, which the Stelzer family bought in the 1980s. They made their first vintage of sparkling wine in 1990. Of the 12 ha seven are planted with Chardonnay and the rest with Pinot Noir. They produce around 65,000 bottles a year with Trentadoc (bottle fermented) accounting for 50,000. 

Like a number of other producers they are moving away from the pergola system of training vines to the trellised guyot system, which is easier to work and allows the grapes to be exposed to the sun. It would seem that this is a return to the system that was used here, at least in part in the 18th century. They are also moving to organic viticulture. 

Of the four Maso Martis sparkling wines we tasted my preference was for the quite rich and creamy 2005 Riserva (70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay). I also liked the delicate strawberry flavoured Brut Rosé (100% Pinot Noir) – 21€. My least favourite was the over-priced and over-evolved 2002 Madame Martis (70% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay and 5% Pinot Meunier). Madame Martis sells for 65€, while the Riserva is only 22.50€ – no competition: three bottles of the Riserva for one of MM. Fortunately they only make 500 bottles of this icon wine.  

They run a very active blog here.    

 Pergola trained vines now giving way to the guyot system widely used in France and other parts of Italy 

Pergola system that shades the grapes 

 Vines and rocky landscape

 Owner Roberta Stelzer

Pupitres for hand riddling

A moustache isn't just for Movember! 

'Bollicine su Trento': photos from visits to vineyards

 Essi Avellan MW learning to prune in the Zeni vineyards: listening intently ...
(above and below)

Essi wielding the secateurs on a Moscato vine....

(above and below)

 View from the tasting room of Maso Martis

Pergola vines and the Trentino mountain landscape (Maso Martis)



Two vineyard dogs@Maso Martis

Trento: more photos

 Imposing building just outside The Grand Hotel Trento (above and below)

Some more pictures of Trento taken on a bright sunny late autumn day.

Frescos on a house in the Piazza del Duomo 

Detail from fresco–woman with cross

 Clocktower (above and below) 

 Part of the Duomo (above and below)

'Bollicine su Trento'*: tasting of old vintages

Glass with a view advertising - Bollicene su Trento

Glass and poster

This morning a tasting of old vintages from five different Trentodoc companies was held in the Palazzo Roccabruna. Fifteen wines (three each) were shown from Abate Nero, Altemasi di Cavit, Az Vinicola Metius, Instituto Agr. di S.Michele and Ferrari F.IIi Lunelli. Vintages ranged from 2007 back to 1991.

Trentodoc uses just Chardonnay and Pinot Noir with Chardonnay normally making up the majority of any blends, except for Rosé Trentodoc. Minimum aging is 24 months for a 'normal' cuvée and 36 months for a Riserva. Minimum in Champagne is 15 months, while for Cava it is 9. Many of the Trentino vineyards are at high altitude even up to 800 metres. Some 3000 ha are devoted to the production of Trentodoc giving a current production of just under nine million bottles with 12% of the Italian market for sparkling wine.

Because of the cool climate conditions the wines are often lemony and mineral, although tasting the old vintages revealed considerable variations between both the five companies and the different vintages.

I thought the three wines from Ferrari – 2001, 1994 and 1991 – stood out way above the rest of the flight with their richness, complexity and real toasty, honey character. All three of these wines were dégorged in 2010, so the 1991 had nearly 20 years on its lees. The Ferrari wines come from their Maso Pianizza vineyard at an altitude of 500-600 metres. These are memorable wines and ones to match with food or to share with discerning friends as an aperitif accompanied with some tapas.

A trio of Ferraris

No wonder Mauro Lunelli is pleased with the Ferrari wines!

The other trio that I liked were much younger: the 2006, 2005 and 2002 Methius Riservas from Metius, which showed considerable variation between the vintages.

I particularly liked the delicacy of the aromatic 2006 and the minerality and steely acidity of the 2002.The quite rich 2005 seemed quite evolved but like the other two was complex and well balanced.

Metius produces 75,000 bottles a year with the Riserva accounting for 15,000.

Delphine Veissiere, who commented on the wines

Forest of glasses...

Trentodoc glass

Self-portrait in a spittoon..

Map of Trentodoc

* 'Bollicene su Trento': I typed this into 'approximativo-translations' and it came up with 'Bollocks in Trento'! I had my doubts about this so checked during the tasting. Bollicene are bubbles, so it's Bubbles in Trento not Bollocks!

Trento: hillside views

 Morning views from the Grand Hotel, Trento (above and below)

Pretty cool overnight but no snow. None either in the Alps I'm told by Wink Lorch, which is a big concern for the winter ski resorts who she says had their worst snow season last year. The danger is that if a base of snow hasn't been built up and then there is a large dump of snow this makes for avalanche conditions.   

In Trentino for 'Bollicine su Trento':

Grand Hotel, Trento – a blaze of Christmas trees

In Trentino for few days for the Bollicine su Trento, which is a festival of sparkling Trentodoc. Follows on rather nicely from Franciacorta at the European Wine Bloggers' Conference in Brescia and then the sortie of Les 5 du Vin to Champagne. 

 

Piazza Duomo (above and below)

 

Duomo

Grand Hotel and obligatory stretched limo

The lemony 2007 Altemasi – our first Trentodoc of the trip

There are now 37 sparkling wine companies involved in Trentodoc.