Contratto Alta Langa Riserva Special Cuvee Pas Dose 2015

Contratto Alta Langa Riserva Special Cuvée Pas Dosé 2015 is a serious, terroir-driven sparkling wine from the hills of Piemonte, crafted in the traditional method and released with true vintage character. Made from Pinot Nero and Chardonnay, it delivers structure, depth, and precision without any dosage, allowing the purity of Alta Langa to shine through. As Giorgio Rivetti notes, this first Riserva from Contratto aims to capture the region’s personality: rich and complex, yet remarkably fresh and elegant, with impressive aging potential.

Tasting Notes
In the glass, this 2015 Riserva shows a luminous straw-gold color with subtle copper highlights from the high proportion of Pinot Nero and a fine, persistent perlage. The nose is layered and expressive: crisp green and yellow apple, ripe pear, and lemon zest are woven together with notes of brioche, toasted hazelnut, wet stone, and a gentle hint of white flowers and herbal lift. On the palate, the wine is dry and incisive, as expected from a Pas Dosé, with a taut, mineral backbone balanced by ripe fruit and creamy texture from extended lees aging. Flavors of citrus, crunchy orchard fruit, and white peach are framed by nuances of pastry cream, toasted bread, and almond, building into a long, savory, saline finish. The 2015 vintage brings both concentration and elegance, and while it is already beautifully harmonious, this Alta Langa Riserva has the structure to evolve gracefully over the next 8–10 years or more, gaining additional complexity and nutty, tertiary nuances.

Production
Alta Langa is Piemonte’s high-elevation sparkling wine territory, characterized by steep hillsides, calcareous marl, and significant diurnal temperature shifts that preserve acidity and aromatic precision. Contratto sources Pinot Nero and Chardonnay from carefully selected, sustainably farmed vineyards, where grapes are harvested by hand to ensure optimal ripeness and meticulous bunch selection. The wine is made using the traditional method: gentle pressing of whole clusters, separate vinification of the base wines, and blending to create the cuvée before secondary fermentation in bottle. This Riserva is aged for an extended period on its lees, significantly longer than the DOCG minimum, to build complexity, texture, and finesse; it is then released as Pas Dosé, with no dosage added, to faithfully reflect the character of the 2015 vintage and the Alta Langa terroir.

Food & Serving
This dry, structured Alta Langa Riserva is an excellent companion to refined dishes such as oysters, scallop ceviche, tuna tartare, or caviar, as well as classic Italian pairings like vitello tonnato, tajarin with butter and sage, and delicate fish or poultry in creamy sauces. Its backbone of acidity and savory complexity also works beautifully with aged cheeses, tempura-style vegetables, and lightly smoked fish. Serve well chilled at around 8–10°C (46–50°F); if possible, pour into white wine or tulip-shaped sparkling glasses rather than narrow flutes to highlight its aromatics. A brief decanting in a chilled carafe, or simply opening the bottle 10–15 minutes before serving, can help the wine fully express its complexity.

Producer
Founded in 1867, Contratto is one of Italy’s oldest and most historic sparkling wine houses, and a pioneer of traditional-method sparkling production in Piemonte. Today, under the ownership and guidance of the Rivetti family of La Spinetta, Contratto has been revitalized while honoring its deep heritage and impressive network of historic cellars in Canelli. The estate plays a key role in the modern recognition of Alta Langa as a serious source of vintage sparkling wines with real identity and aging capacity. Contratto’s wines, including this Alta Langa Riserva Special Cuvée Pas Dosé, have earned a reputation for precision, elegance, and authenticity, helping to position Piemonte not only as a land of Barolo and Barbaresco, but also as a reference for world-class sparkling wine.

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