One of our favorite wine discoveries from a recent trip to Piemonte, Italy was the Alta Langa DOCG.
Alta Langa is a quality spumante (fully sparkling) wine made in the “traditional method” (metodo classico), modeled on the champagne method. It was the first region in Italy to make traditional method wine, starting in the mid-1800s, and became recognized as a DOC in 2002 and a DOCG in 2011.
Alta Langa wines are subject to rigorous legal parameters; for example, they must always:
--be vintage
--be brut or non-dosage (so dry!)
--undergo a minimum of 30 months aging and longer for “Riserva” wines
--be made in a white or rosé stye
--use only Chardonnay and/or Pinot Noir (Pinot Nero) grapes from a delimited production zone
Here is a bottle we brought home from our visit to Coppo: it’s the 2009 Piero Coppo, Riserva del Fondatore, made with 60 % Pinot Nero & 40% Chardonnay.
It matured 9 months on the fine lees in French oak barrels before the second fermentation; and spent another 99 months sur lie in the bottle before disgorgement, lending layers of autolytic and savory characteristics & a creamy texture with a fine, well-integrated mousse.
It’s an excellent wine capable of aging for decades.
One of our favorite wine discoveries from a recent trip to Piemonte, Italy was the Alta Langa DOCG.
Alta Langa is a quality spumante (fully sparkling) wine made in the “traditional method” (metodo classico), modeled on the champagne method. It was the first region in Italy to make traditional method wine, starting in the mid-1800s, and became recognized as a DOC in 2002 and a DOCG in 2011.
Alta Langa wines are subject to rigorous legal parameters; for example, they must always:
--be vintage
--be brut or non-dosage (so dry!)
--undergo a minimum of 30 months aging and longer for “Riserva” wines
--be made in a white or rosé stye
--use only Chardonnay and/or Pinot Noir (Pinot Nero) grapes from a delimited production zone
Here is a bottle we brought home from our visit to Coppo: it’s the 2009 Piero Coppo, Riserva del Fondatore, made with 60 % Pinot Nero & 40% Chardonnay.
It matured 9 months on the fine lees in French oak barrels before the second fermentation; and spent another 99 months sur lie in the bottle before disgorgement, lending layers of autolytic and savory characteristics & a creamy texture with a fine, well-integrated mousse.
It’s an excellent wine capable of aging for decades.
Feb 2nd, 2025
Piedmont, Italy
