As is often the case on my blog, I talk about sparkling wines, and when I talk about sparkling wines I am not just talking about Champagne, Trento DOC or Franciacorta DOCG to mention the more 'sought-after' ones, but I like to discover small realities or dispel 'false myths'. Today I want to tell you about the vertical tasting I did on my way back from Montalcino, when I stopped in Imola at the winery Merlotta to taste the Prèdio Gran Cuvée Brut Charmat Method in its versions from 2017 to 2010. First though, let's talk about Metodo Charmat or Metodo Martinotti... do you know how it is produced?

Charmat Method: How is this type of sparkling wine produced?

Historically, sparkling wines were only produced with the Classical Method or the Ancestral Method. Around 1910, Federico Martinotti, director of the Royal Oenological Station of Asti, in order to speed up the production process and cut costs, thought of realising the sparkling process in a large sealed container similar to an autoclave, designed, built and patented by French engineer Eugéne Charmat.

The merit of this method lies in retaining the aromas and flavours of the grapes used, which are not covered by the scents developed by the yeasts as is the case with the Classical Method, making it interesting for use with aromatic varieties. The resulting wines are simple, fresh and very fragrant and often have a less fine bubble than sparkling wines made with the Classical Method, but this is not always true and this guide is living proof!

There are two types of Charmat Method:

CHARMAT METHOD = Dwell time on the lees for 30 to 90 days,
LONG CHARMAT METHOD = Dwell time on the lees from 90 days to 12 months.

In any case, to bear the designation VSQ (Vino Spumante di Qualità) must remain on the lees for at least 80 days.

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The production of sparkling wines using the Martinotti Method follows a different path from those made with the Metodo Classico, starting from the stage following the creation of the base wine.

After creating the base wine, clarification and refrigeration are carried out to make it stable.
Filtration is performed.
The pied de cuve is prepared with selected yeasts, sugars and mineral salts and placed in a 100 to 500 hectolitre stainless steel autoclave for re-fermentation.
The second fermentation is rapid and according to EU regulations for sparkling wines and Quality Sparkling Wines must be at least 80 days. The longer the period on the yeasts, the more the wine is enriched with aromas and the sparkling wine is called Charmat Lungo.
Isobaric filtration is performed during which the salts of tartaric acid that have precipitated as a result of low-temperature stabilisation are separated.
The dosage is carried out.
Isobaric bottling is performed. Corking is generally carried out with corks.

This makes you realise that depending on the length of the Charmat Method, you will have a wine with very different organoleptic characteristics. Metodo Charmat Lungo wines are a bit of a hybrid between the Charmat Method and the Classic Method. In the Charmat Method we have the typical aromas of the grape variety, also known as primary aromas, and this is why aromatic grape varieties are mainly used to produce it. In the Metodo Charmat Lungo, the yeasts play a much more important role and the aromas can also be very much oriented towards pan brioche and bread crust, also typical of the Metodo Classico. This is why semi-aromatic or non-aromatic grape varieties are more frequently used to produce Metodo Charmat Lungo sparkling wines, just as in the traditional method.

As you can easily guess, Charmat Method sparkling wines need to be drunk fairly quickly, preferably in the vintage, while Metodo Charmat Lungo wines can evolve in the bottle a few years, giving even the most sceptical a few surprises.

In support of this thesis, I was delighted to accept Fabio's invitation to do a vertical tasting of his Prédio Gran Cuvée Charmat Method. A blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in % that is around 50% and undergoes only slight variations depending on the vintage. The sugar dosage is low, around 4-5 g/l.

Prèdio Gran Cuvée Brut Charmat Method 2017, Merlotta

It is a beautiful, bright straw yellow with a very fine perlate that forms a creamy and particularly persistent mousse. The nose is delicate, with notes of walnut, citrus and hawthorn blossom. In the mouth it has a creamy bubble, is very fresh, very soft and long. Excellent balance between hardness and softness.

Prèdio Gran Cuvée Brut Charmat Method 2016, Merlotta

It is a brilliant straw yellow with a slightly fine, fairly numerous and fairly persistent perlage. On the nose, notes of cedar, sugared almond and aromatic herbs intertwine quite finely. In the mouth, it has a nice, salivating savouriness and a long finish. It has a 'kick-ass' acid shoulder and certainly could be the one with the longest life prospect, if the bubbles can stand the test of time. We will taste it in 2021 and see! 😋

Prèdio Gran Cuvée Brut Charmat Method 2015, Merlotta

It is bright straw yellow with a pale gold reflection. The perlage is rich, numerous, very fine and persistent. The nose is intense with notes of dried fruit and fruit tarts with lemon cream. In the mouth it is consistent with a fairly complex and enveloping taste. Overall, it is ready to drink and much more balanced than its predecessors.

Prèdio Gran Cuvée Brut Metodo Charmat 2013, Merlotta 😍😍😍

It is a beautiful deep golden yellow with a bubble that still pushes, is abundant, very numerous, fine and persistent. On the nose delicious notes of saffron, candied orange peel, candied pear, sweetened whipped cream, Greek yoghurt honey and nuts, cooked pine nuts and rhubarb intertwine delicately in a clean and fine way. In the mouth, the bubbles are creamy, the taste is very good, broad, structured and enveloping. Still fairly fresh, soft, it is definitely at its peak, but it won't stay there for long.

Prèdio Gran Cuvée Brut Charmat Method 2010, Merlotta

I don't know if it's the single bottle that didn't hold... or he just didn't make it! Too bad, the nose isn't bad... but unfortunately it comes with a total absence of bubbles and an oxidised taste, although it still retains a fair amount of freshness. On the nose, intense notes of caraway and dried hay fade into the scent of brown sugar and a madeirised accent. In the mouth, it is smooth and discreetly long.

In summary, one can say that Prèdio Gran Cuvée Brut reached its peak between the 2015 and 2013 vintages. In the latter it is already mature and will soon begin its waning phase. This sparkling wine is a remarkable charmat method in which the strengths of each vintage are always the creaminess of the bubble and elegance.

Merlotta is a company from Romagna located in Imola, on the Via Emilia. It owns about 15 hectares of vineyards on the plains between Dozza and Montecatone. More than fifty vintages and a lot of passion in this family that has managed to carve out an important business from scratch that provides work, even in a particularly difficult historical moment like this one, for many people. Well-considered steps and a strategic vision of the future have created a winery that is beautiful to look at, where cleanliness and order reign supreme. Great care was taken with the packaging, the restyling of the new labels and catalogues was beautiful... you know that wine communication is my job, so I always look at how a company is presented!

I invite the purists of the metodo classico -including myself- to taste it and tell me what they think of it... and maybe surprise themselves as I did!

Cheers 🥂

Chiara

P.S. You can visit the Merlotta company website by clicking HERE!

The other wines are also worth tasting, in particular I really love their rosé bubble always charmat method 'Prèdio Gran Cuvée Dry' which is creamy and divinely dosed even for me who does not like dosed sparkling wines and would only drink pas dosé or extra brut! In the cellar I also discovered the Grifaia 2016, a blend of cabernet sauvignon (85%) and cabernet franc (15%). It is a beautiful, intense, semi-transparent ruby red. On the nose notes of tobacco, mint, black pepper, criollo chocolate, freshly cut grass. In the mouth, its best quality is its freshness: it has an acid shoulder that gives it important ageing potential. Good structure and long finish.