Bottega makes this in the Veneto, in northern Italy, from Pinot Nero vinified as a rosé and finished as a dry sparkling wine. The colour comes from brief skin contact, not from blending red wine in, and it lands somewhere between onion skin and pale copper.
- Pinot Nero, the grape behind it.
- Veneto, northern Italy.
- 2023 vintage.
- Brut, so dry rather than sweet.
- 11% alcohol, light in body.
How it is made
Pinot Nero is a thin-skinned grape that gives colour quickly, so the juice spends only a short time against the skins before it is drawn off. The second fermentation happens in a sealed tank rather than in the bottle, which is how the fine, steady bead gets into the wine while keeping the fruit at the front.
How it tastes
Strawberry and red cherry first, then rose petal and a mineral edge underneath. The acidity is high and the tannin is low, so it reads dry and clean rather than creamy. The bubbles are fine and they last.
Where it comes from
The Veneto runs from the Dolomites down to the Adriatic, and it is the part of Italy where sparkling wine is made in the largest quantity and in the widest range of styles. Pinot Nero is grown here for still reds and for sparkling base alike, and it holds its acidity well in a climate that can otherwise ripen grapes quickly.
