Throughout history, winemakers the world over have not only tried to emulate Champagne but to use the word “Champagne” on their labels. Champagne producers have since managed to prevent that from happening—the labeling, that is. As for the emulation, well, there are a lot of compelling aspirants out there, including some from wine regions with considerable prestige of their own.
Take Piedmont, Italy, for example: Producers in the Langhe and Monferrato hills, many of whom make Barolo and Barbaresco, have shown an affinity for “Champagne-method” sparkling wines—that is, wines that undergo a second fermentation in the bottle, followed by extending aging on their spent yeast cells (lees). The Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes they’re using in Piedmont are relatively new, but the techniques and passion are not, as exemplified by the resurgent Contratto winery in the village of Canelli. Founded in 1867 by Giuseppe Contratto, this iconic estate mastered
méthode Champenoise and made their first sparklers from the local Moscato grape; by 1910, they were producing a million bottles of “Asti Champagne” per year. More than a century later, winemaker Giorgio Rivetti, whose family acquired Contratto in 2011, is letting the wine, not the label, do the talking (no disrespect to the fantastic label, however, which is straight out of a 1920’s-era advertising poster). Rivetti’s La Spinetta winery, known for its powerful Barbarescos, is a few towns over from Contratto, so this isn’t some “flying winemaker” gig for him. Today’s vintage-dated, no-
dosage sparkler is driven by Pinot Noir and has elite Champagne clearly in its sights—maybe even in its rearview, if you consider the price!
Canelli is nearly equidistant from Alba and Asti, just east of where the Barbaresco DOCG zone ends. It’s part of a band of hills that extends east towards Gavi, with altitudes ranging from 250 to 550 meters and marly soils reminiscent of those found in Barbaresco. Historically, the region was planted predominantly to Moscato, but in municipalities like Canelli and Loazzolo (among others), Chardonnay and Pinot Noir have been spreading rapidly. Given the sparkling wine tradition (i.e. Asti Spumante) that already existed here, combined with the favorable conditions for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, a relatively new DOC zone was created in 2002 (elevated to DOCG in 2011) called “Alta Langa.” It is an appellation strictly devoted to the production of Champagne-method sparklers in this hilly corner of Piedmont, in the foothills of the Maritime Alps that separate it from neighboring Liguria.
Rivetti has gone all-in on the Contratto sparklers, doing everything by hand and investing in new Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vineyards in the Alta Langa. Whatever you may have known (or heard) about the Asti sparklers of yore, forget it: This is an entirely different beast. Sourced from vineyards in the villages of Cassinasco, Canelli, Loazzolo, and Costigliole d’Asti, the Contratto millesimato (vintage-dated) is comprised of 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay left to age for 48 months on the lees following the second fermentation. It is bottled without a dosage (sugar addition), leaving it bone-dry yet hardly devoid of depth. Quite the contrary: this has fruit concentration and mineral savor to rival well-made Champagne, plain and simple.
Pop the cork of this striking bottle and you’ll pour a sparkler with a deep yellow-gold hue and a fine, persistent stream of tiny bubbles. The aromas are rich and heady, with white cherry and red currant notes from the Pinot Noir peeking out alongside ripe yellow apple, citrus, white flowers, toasted brioche, and wet stones. It is broad and textured on the palate, perhaps a little more fruit-driven and “ripe” compared to the typical Champagne, but no less structured or dry. It has the straight-backed posture of a serious, aristocratic sparkler, and when you’re reminded of the price, it really is a steal. Serve this at 45 degrees in all-purpose white wine stems (or wide-mouthed flutes) as an apéritif with some steak tartare on toast to fully embrace all things Piedmontese. It’d be a fun wine to serve to Champagne lovers blind, but then again that label is half the fun! Whatever you choose to do, there’s no denying the quality here. Bravo, Giorgio!
