Ferrari Giulio Ferrari Trento DOC Brut Riserva 2001
The vineyards for this wine, which is a Chardonnay, are at 600 meters. The first vintage was 1972. Then it stayed on lees for 8 years, now 10.Brassy gold with brilliant reflections and fine perlage. The bouquet is powerful, and smoky, with wood smoke and butterscotch mingled with some caramelized sugar and slight dried apple; and as it opens some mentholated notes as well. On the palate it's full and creamy, with deft minerality, and flows into a long rather mineral finish with some sour lemon acidity and fruit. It's quick to write but very elegant, and a wine well worth seeking out.
Score: 92-3
Ferrari Giulio Ferrari Riserva del Fondatore Trento DOC Brut 1991
Pale brassy gold with brilliant brassy reflections; it looks younger than many of the younger wines, and has fine perlage. The bouquet is impressive, with beautifully fresh minerality supported by some splice and slight bread crumbs, and minerality, some wood smoke, and bitter caramelized sugar with some gunflint as well. Struck granite; while the panel leader talks of other things I find it to be minerality in a glass, and this is the elevation of the vineyards. On the palate it's bright and fresh, with brilliant minerality and savory notes supported by clean bright minerality and citric notes, with peppery accents from sparkle, and flows into a long clean savory finish. Absolutely impressive, extraordinarily fresh. A fellow taster says stunning. I agree.Score: 96-7
Ferrari Giulio Ferrari Riserva del Fondatore Trento DOC Brut 1991
Note: this is the same wine listed above, but tasted the next day. I've included it to show how one's impressions can change from day to day (and bottle to bottle) though here the verdict was the same: It's perhaps the finest sparkling wine I've tasted.Brassy gold, it's a little lighter than the 2001 (which we also retasted), and with fine perlage. The bouquet is enticing, with deft minerality and spice, supported by hints of bitter orange marmalade, deeply caramelized sugar, spice, and terrific gunflint and struck granite. Beautiful complexity and most impressive. On the palate it's rich and creamy, with savory minerality supported by citric more grapefruit than lemony acidity with slight apricot and wood smoke, and sea salt with mineral accents that flows into a clean rich creamy savory mineral finish. Fantastic, and perhaps even better than the bottle tasted yesterday. This time a fellow taster not given to exaggeration said, "It's pretty amazing."
Score: 96-7
Endrizzi Brut Riserva Trento DOC 2007
This is from a vineyard planted to Chardonnay and Pinot Nero (66-33) high on the hill facing the winery, in a spot that overlooks the border with the Alto Adige. It's pale brassy yellow with brassy reflections, white rim and fine perlage. The bouquet is intense and quite mineral, with brambly accents, some gunflint, wood smoke, slight tropical pineapple fruit, savory notes, and nice depth. On the palate it's bright, with crisp apple and savory minerality that becomes peppery and mineral as it flows into a warm finish with some acidity and slight red berry fruit notes, from the Pinot, and with time sea salt. Quite pleasant, and nicely structured with pleasing fullness.Score: 91-2
Endrizzi Riserva Metodo Classico Trento Brut 2002
This was disgorged after 8 years, and is pale greenish gold with yellow reflections and fine perlage. The bouquet is quite elegant, and deft, with considerable finesse and minerality supported by some gunflint, very ripe white pears, sea salt, and nice acidity. On the palate it's bright, with lively savory sour lemon acidity supported by sparkle that confers creaminess and fresh minerality that flows into a long mineral finish. Very pleasant, and if you like the style, which is rigorous, revolving around acidity and finesse -- no nods to softness here, though there is a touch from the lees, not the dosage -- you will enjoy it.Score: 92
Endrizzi 2010 Nosiola
A still wine. Nosiola is an indigenous white varietal whose name means "little nuts," a reference to the nuttiness it tends to display on the nose. It is traditionally made for local consumption, a light, savory low-in-alcohol wine that works very well in the summer months.Pale brassy white with a delicate floral nose with slight nuttiness and spice mingled with slight caraway seed; the overall impression is graceful and fresh. The palate reflects the nose, with languid, pleasingly savory white berry fruit supported by sea salt and some mineral acidity; it's quite fresh and will drink very well with simple foods now. Quite enjoyable, and as it is only 11.5 % alcohol (!), it's the sort of wine one can drink by the bucket.
Score: 86
Cesarini Sforza Tridentium Trento DOC 2006
This is 85% Chardonnay and 15% Pinot Noir, from vineyards at elevations exceeding 450 meters; it spends 36 months on the lees and is brilliant brassy yellow with god reflections and fine perlage. The bouquet is fairly rich, with greenish vegetal accents mingled with white pepper and some alcohol with pleasant minerality and minty accents, and more white pepper, supported by a touch of caramel and bitter orange, as it opens. On the palate it's full, with fairly rich mineral laced lemon-grapefruit fruit supported by savory notes and some bitter minerality, with creaminess form sparkle and a fairly long citric finish with underlying bitterness. Nice depth and elegance, and quite approachable in a fairly mature key.Score: 85-7
Cesarini Sforza Tridentum Extra Brut Trento DOC 2004
Pale brassy yellow with bright freenish reflections and fine perlage. The bouquet is mineral with savory accents and some gunflint, some breadcrumbs, white pepper, and hints of horseradish pungency. A lot going on. On the palate it's deft and dry, with minerality and some grapefruit acidity supported by sparkle that has hints of horseradish in it, and flows into a a fairly long savory finish with citric fruit and pungency. Pleasant and has quite a bit to say.Score: 88-90
Cesarini Sforza Aquila Reale Trento DOC Riserva 2003
This is from a single, very old organically farmed Chardonnay vineyard trained to the Pergola Trentina system at an elevation of 500 meters, on dolomitic soil. It spent 72 months on the lees. Brassy greenish gold with gold reflections and fine perlage. The bouquet is fairly rich and quite mineral, with some butterscotch, honey, some vegetal notes, slight spice, and rich opulence that is in part the vintage. On the palate it's full, soft and creamy, and quite mineral, flowing into a bright mineral finish that has almost tangerine accents. Pleasingly graceful, and though it is a bit softer than a wine from a cooler vintage would be is very nice. We drank it with a cheesy risotto, and the pairing was perfect.Score: 88
La Vis Nosiola Maso Rosabel 2010
This is a still wine from a single 1-hectare vineyard, and we were told that Nosiola was traditionally the wine of the vineyard workers, but is now being replanted with other more commercially interesting varietals -- that it is light, fresh, and easy to drink is seen as a fault by too many in the wine world who want "serious" wines.Brassy greenish gold with gold reflections. The bouquet is fresh and savory, with considerable sea salt, like a windy day on the beach, some greenish accents, and nose-tingling acidity. On the palate it's fresh, bright, and savory, with some pineapple fruit and sour pineapple acidity that flow into a fresh tart pineapple finish Pleasant, and will be very nice with simple flavorful fish dishes, and also fried dishes because of its acidity. A lark of a wine that one can drink by the bucket.
Score: 85
