Wines
Contratto is returning to its roots and producing sparkling wines, "metodo classico" only. Six different sparkling wines have been released in 2011, wines that are undoubtably higher in quality than previous years and come with a fresh new look and packaging.
The entry-level Brut is the Millesimato. The wine is named for the fact that it is a vintage wine and produced every year, not a combination of vintages as you find in "basic" champagne. All the wines, with the exception of the Rosé and the Blanc de Blancs are a blend of 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay. The high percentage of Pinot Noir is typical for sparkling wines from Piedmont and distinguishes the wines from their "sparkling colleagues" in Franciacorta.
The wine For England was named as such in 1930, when Contratto began producing a low-dosage wine for the English market. At that time, all Champagne and sparkling wines were extremely sweet and the Royal Court of England was the first in Europe to develop a drier palate for wine. Today For England is a zero dosage (no added liquor d'expedition) and For England Rosé (100% Pinot Noir) has very little residual sugar. Bacco d'Oro is again a blend of 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay. It has always been a less dry sparkling wine and remains so, however with 10gr/lt of sugar it is still considered a Brut.
The vinification is done according to classic method standards. After the initial alcoholic fermentation the base wines are vinified separately, then are aged for 8 months in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats. Second fermentation takes place in bottle for a good two weeks and is further enhanced with bottle aging on yeast in underground cellars at a constant temperature of 12° C.
