2003 Rotari Brut Reserva

So, you may remember my post about working at Aqua Vino a couple weeks ago. One of the wines I was pouring was new to me, though I’m very familiar with the Rotari label. When I was in retail, their rosé was a house favorite and one of my best sellers. Everybody I introduced to it came back for more and for $12, it is an awesome value. It is on the docket for next year’s adventure, as is this one.

Fortunately, I was able to taste this one in advance, courtesy of my buddy Dave, who always gets me the hookups to the best events. We love pouring his wines and tasting all the yummy delights at Toast of the Town and Aqua Vino.

So, this one was tasted while I was at Aqua Vino and it was quite tasty, not to mention a great QPR for a bubbly that is aged for 3 to 4 years on the lees. [Range is because I have conflicting information between Rotari's site and what the review from Enthusiast said.]Whoa. Did I just type that correctly? You’re darn tootin’ I did! Yes, I watched a lot of Yosemite Sam and Bugs Bunny growing up, but I digress.

For those who aren’t familiar with bubbles made in the traditional method (the way they do it in Champagne), part of the process includes aging the wine before expelling the dead yeast cells, which are what lees are. This imparts the toast, biscuity (and being from the South, I love biscuits) aromas and flavors to the wine. In fancy speak, we call it autolysis. In plain speak, we call it brilliant. Twisted, but brilliant. You will also notice the longer the wine is aged, the creamier and rounder it becomes.

These flavors aren’t for everyone, but they are for many sparkling enthusiasts. In Champagne, the minimum for vintage wines is 3 years, though most houses actually do surpass the minimum and go for 4 to 6 years. For the higher volume NV products, 15 months is the minimum. You’ll find some houses go longer, some do the minimum, all depending on what style the winemaker is going for. Personally, I dig ‘em all.

So, this wine retails for under $20, though I don’t have an exact price. The blend of grapes used is 90% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Nero (what the Italians call Pinot Noir) and it shows in the taste profile. It has a fine mousse (smaller bubbles which come from longer aging) and even at 6 years old, this wine is still quite fresh and full of zippy acidity in the finish, which contrasts against the denser feel in your mouth. This is definitely more of a food wine than something I’d pick to serve as an apéritif. You definitely get the toast notes, along with some tart citrus and green apple character. It was refreshing to drink and made me crave sushi. Unfortunately, the sushi was upstairs and too far away to make a run. C’est la vie.

I’d tag this as an above average bubbly, especially for the price. I still think the rose is the better value (based on what I know of current pricing), but this is a really good wine that won’t disappoint and competes favorably with other fizzies in this price range.

Haiku
Vino frizzante
This Italian bubbly
Tickles my fancy