Saracco Chardonnay Prasue 2001
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Saracco is located in the small village of Castiglione Tinella, in Asti, in the heart of the Langhe, in Piedmont, Italy The Langhe is known as the land of great Nebbiolo wines like Barolo and Barbaresco but it is also home to the Muscat Bianco Canelli grape that produces Moscato d’Asti. Upon graduating enology school, Paolo Saracco told his father that he wanted to stop selling their grapes as he had been doing, and produce a namesake Moscato wine. His father was very reluctant but eventually realized that his son was on to something. Paolo created the quality Moscato category in the US market, was named the “Maestro of Moscato” by wine writer Antonio Galloni in 2011 and has gone on to receive the highest and most consistent over 90 point scores from the top wine publications for the past 10 vintages.
Saracco Moscato is always the first wine of the vintage to arrive into the market, released in late November of the same year. It is harvested in late August, vinified in stainless and is ready for bottling a few months later. He bottles weekly so the consumer is always getting the freshest wine. While other producers in the area make Moscato, they are primarily red wine focused and Moscato is a very small segment of their overall production. Paolo is 100% dedicated to making Moscato and has earned the following of consumers world- wide, including hip hop celebrities who have rapped about Saracco Moscato in their songs. And, if you can hold on to a bottle for your cellar, it ages beautifully – contrary to common beliefs.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
A mountainous northern Italian region heavily influenced by German culture, Trentino-Alto Adige is actually made up of two separate but similar regions: Alto Adige and Trentino.
Trentino, the southern half, is primarily Italian-speaking and largely responsible for the production of non-native, international grapes. There is a significant quantity of Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio and Merlot produced. But Trentino's native and most unique red variety, Teroldego, while still rare, is gaining popularity. It produces a deeply colored red wine rich in wild blackberry, herb, coffee and cocoa.
The rugged terrain of German-speaking Alto Adige (also referred to as Südtirol) focuses on small-scale viticulture, with great value placed on local varieties—though international varieties have been widely planted since the 1800s. Sheltered by the Alps from harsh northerly winds, many of the best vineyards are at extreme altitude but on steep slopes to increase sunlight exposure.
Dominant red varieties include the bold, herbaceous Lagrein and delicate, strawberry-kissed, Schiava, in addition to some Pinot Nero.
The primary white grapes are Pinot grigio, Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay and Pinot blanc, as well as smaller plantings of Sauvignon blanc, Müller Thurgau. These tend to be bright and refreshing with crisp acidity and just the right amount of texture. Some of the highest quality Pinot grigio in Italy is made here.