With great risk comes great reward. That’s a guiding principle for committed natural winemakers like Davide Spillare. Whereas others might employ chemical treatments in their vineyards to ensure an outcome, Spillare opts for the back-breaking manual labor that biodynamic farming requires—so much so that he herniated the “L1” vertebrae in his lower back in a tractor accident. Others might add sulfur, even just a little, at bottling, but not him. And then there’s the risk inherent in producing sparkling wine in the méthode ancestrale, or “ancestral method,” wherein an unfinished wine is bottled up and left to complete its fermentation inside, leaving behind trapped effervescence and a cloud of spent yeast cells, which are never filtered (or disgorged) away.
To say that this more gently sparkling, gently priced style of bubbly is trendy right now is soft-pedaling it, but we didn’t put it up on the site today to be cool: As always, the deciding factors were deliciousness and value. Spillare is headquartered in Gambellara, just northeast of Soave, where the signature white grape is Garganega and the Alpine-foothill vineyards dig into ancient volcanic soils. This wine combines the peachy friendliness of a Prosecco with some yeast-derived biscuit notes and a vein of smoky minerality—presented in electrifying and bone-dry fashion. Spillare’s “L1” is the apéritif sparkler I want to have on hand all summer long, and beyond, truly the epitome of what such a wine should be. It’s time to get the party started, and this very serious, hand-crafted frizzante is more than up to the task.
Supported by a dash of another native grape of the Veneto, Durella (which is used in traditional sparklers further east near Vicenza), the Garganega grape is central to the tiny Spillare estate, which consists of about four hectares of vines. While Davide’s family had owned vines (whose grapes were sold to the local cooperative), he first apprenticed with Gambellara legend Angiolino Maule, a pioneering natural winemaker and Garganega specialist, before striking out on his own in 2006. He has gone all-in on biodynamic farming, to the point of pulling weeds in the vineyard by hand, and on minimal-intervention winemaking. He does not add sulfur to his wines at bottling, which in the case of “L1” is slightly less risky because the spent yeasts in solution act as an antioxidant. Nevertheless, it’s critical to be precise and downright aseptic in the winery if you hope to produce a wine this fresh, fruity, lively, and fault-free. Davide puts in the work, and it shows.
The best way I can describe “L1” is bottled spontaneity: It was spontaneously fermented using only ambient yeasts, a fermentation which finished inside the bottle. Yes, you could also use the term pétillant naturel (or “pét-nat,” if you’re cool) for this wine, but let’s not get hung up on terminology and focus instead on the lively, delicious, lip-smacking wine itself. It is frizzante, meaning it has a more delicate fizz than a Champagne, so after some time open it really plays more like a well-structured dry white. Aromas of white peach, pear, fennel pollen, white pepper, and rising bread dough (thanks to that residual yeast) carry over to the racy, medium-bodied, bone-dry palate. There are some kindred qualities to col fondo Prosecco, but the fruit component here is less sweet and the mineral edge more pronounced. It is like a slap in the face—in the best way—and will get any party or meal started in effortless Italian style. Serve it at 45 degrees in all-purpose stems with thinly sliced prosciutto and grissini (breadsticks), or step it up a notch and make some gougères or, to keep it in the Italian vein, panelle (chickpea fritters) or tramezzini (Venetian tea sandwiches). There are so many good options, so I suggest loading up. Enjoy!
