We had arranged a Virtual Happy Hour/Birthday Party last week with friends — his birthday fell on a weekday this year, so we opted to gather on the Saturday following his big day — and I decided to toast him with a sparkling wine.
Which wine, however, was the question. It’s a commandment around the BrockShah household that at least two bottles of sparkling — Champagne, Sekt, Lambrusco, Cava, or another variety of bubbly wine —be chilled and ready to serve at all times.
On that auspicious Saturday, I had the following bottles from which to choose: a Riesling Sekt from Loosen Bros., a 2011 DVX from Mumm, a Lambrusco from Cleto Chiarli, a non-vintage Billecart-Salmon Rosé, and a Monfort Rosé from Cantine Monfort. I chose the latter bottle, and we celebrated our friend’s birthday in Italian style.
Trentino, in the countrys’ far north, is the home of Monfort, and Trento DOC is an appellation about which you should know more (if you don’t already). The sparkling wines made there are of great value, and the producers are fine practitioners of the metodo classico.
The Monfort Trentodoc sparkling we drank possessed a beautiful pale-salmon hue in the stem. Perlage was distinct, fine, lively, and vigorous. We drank it with Goldfish, and loved the pairing. You will note appealing aromas of wild strawberry and citrus; hints of toast and nuttiness are the flavor profiles.
This Rosé is 50 percent Chardonnay and 50 percent Noir, and alcohol comes in at 12.5 percent. Residual sugar, you ask? That would be 8 grams per liter, decidedly dry. Look for this wine at the $30 price point.
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