Did you know? Piemonte is the birthplace of Italian sparkling wine, with the metodo classico style (Champagne method) going back over two centuries! Yet, when most people talk about Northern Italy and sparkling wine, they immediately assume it’s Prosecco and seize up with hesitation. Not today, darlings – this is the ultimate in traditional method sparkling wine, from vineyards in Alta Langa sitting at 700 meters above sea level in a heavily forested and arboreal area, with lots of brush and flora and fauna. It also happens to be the ideal location for growing expressive and rich Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes!

This winery, Tenuta Carretta, is truly historic – as in, over 550 years of winemaking historic. It predates Christopher Columbus, with records placing its founding to the year 1467. The estate is set in rolling hills of Piobesi d’Alba, Roero, just north of the City of Alba and on the left bank of the Tanaro River. Named for the Piobese noblewoman, Domina Carretta, who first owned the estate, Tenuta Carretta makes mostly red, still wines – only recently branching out into the world of Italian spumantes to resounding acclaim. The estate-grown grapes hail from their Airali vineyard high up in the Alta Langa, from a region only recently used for grape production – and more famously known for the hazelnut forests that provide the world with Nutella (Alba is where the Nutella factory stands and the whole city smells of gloriously rich and gooey Nutella). Researchers began experimenting with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in the 1990s, with great results.

This is made entirely from Pinot Noir, and receives the rare “millesimato” designation – meaning that all the fruit stems from a single vintage, in this case the 2020 harvest. The wine spends a minimum of 36 months on the lees, just like vintage Champagne, with a Brut dosage to keep things dry and singed with acidity. Pouring pale yellow in color, with a delicate and gentle mousse, aromas of toasty bread, honey, and dried figs emit from the glass. The wine is savory and sophisticated in the mouth, with a vibrant and lean texture, followed up by a soiree of yellow peaches, poached pears, iron ore, brioche, and roasted almonds. This is bone dry, with a bright acidity, harmonious structure, and a lengthy finish that would hold up to many a Champagne for double the price. For under $30, this is truly something remarkable indeed!