Ciao, ciao! We’re taking a trip to the North of Italy today and you won’t want to miss this! If you snagged any of that Ca’Erto tank-made spumante from a ways back, this is the same amazing Magnabosco family, their same winery and vineyards (but better plots) – to make this Champagne-style sparkler from the tippy-top, best of the best fruit – producing a finished wine that almost never leaves Europe. Monte Tondo! 

This is all 2016 vintage fruit and 100% garganega – a pinkish/yellowish, local varietal prized for its high acidity, medium body, and almost saline minerality. The vineyards roll across the hillsides of Soave, near Verona, on alternating veins of volcanic and chalky limestone soils – lending the distinct flavors and styles of Soave garganega. These are destemmed and crushed very, very gently following harvest by hand, so as to not extract any bitterness from the skins or seeds of the grapes. Following fermentation, the wine ages for 2-3 months in stainless steel tank, before bottling and aging on the lees for 40 months. This prolonged development in bottle yields the mousse and bubbles very near in style to Champagne, but with a definitive and unique flavor profile stemming from the garganega grape. Be amazed by flavors and aromas of Bartlett pears, Tuscan melon, toasted hazelnuts, lime zest, and dried peaches, all underpinned by a tingling current of salty minerality and a green herb finish of marjoram and fresh oregano. The wine is weighty, but balanced, with a fine mousse and a creamy texture – everything you could ask for in a bottle of bubbly! The zippy 4 grams/liter dosage keeps everything bright and zesty, too. This bubbly at $29 is a real treat – that you won’t find anywhere else in the states! To have it at 40% off… well, that makes for something you simply cannot miss!