ZERO DOSAGE, NO RESERVE WINE, 60 MONTHS ON THE YEASTS TO ENHANCE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ALTA LANGA VINE VARIETIES IN THE 2018 VINTAGE.
There is a particularly significant feature that distinguishes Alta Langa from other classic method denominations: the obligation of the vintage. For these two new cuvées, Espressione Bianc 2018 and Espressione Noir 2018 , Cocchi has worked to interpret to the maximum the strength and character of the 2018 vintage expressed in the purity of the two Alta Langa vines, 100% Chardonnay for Espressione Bianc and 100% Pinot Noir for Espressione Noir.
The year 2018 is remembered in Piedmont for being the second warmest of the previous 61 years, with an average thermal anomaly of about 1.6°C compared to the climatology of the period 1971-2000. In particular, the minimum temperatures were the warmest of the entire period (Arpa Piemonte data).
In this situation, the contribution of rainfall was important from a viticultural point of view, with an average of approximately 1400 mm in the region, with a rainfall surplus of 32% compared to the 1971-2000 norm.
The winter season continued until the beginning of March with temperatures below average leading to a slow and gradual vegetative recovery of the vine.
Flowering and subsequent fruit set took place regularly and in optimal climatic conditions. From mid-July temperatures rose significantly without however causing early harvesting, which began on the morning of August 31. This climatic trend allowed us to obtain base wines with good aromatic density and balanced acid freshness, thanks also to the malolactic fermentation that was entirely completed for Espressione Bianc 2018.
VINIFICATION AND SPARKLING WINE MAKING
- Entirely manual harvest . Malolactic fermentation , complete only for Espressione Bianc 2018.
- No reserve wines: only grapes from the 2018 vintage, for a pure and faithful account of the vintage.
- Brut Nature: 0 g/L of sugar, to clearly show the terroir and the vintage.
- Five years of aging in the cellar: a slow and meticulous process for wines with a complex structure and unique elegance.
- After disgorgement , to allow the wine to recreate its balance, the bottles remain in the cellar for at least another ten months before being placed on the market.
- Limited production: 6478 bottles and 150 magnums for each cuvée.
- Two interpretations of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir , signed by the winemaker Paolo Bava .
“We wanted to give a deep identity to these two new Cocchi labels depending on the vintage, with the certainty that we will be able to create a different and exciting wine for each harvest, given that the obligation of the vintage is one of the characteristics that distinguishes the Alta Langa denomination. A project in which we believe deeply, so much so that we already have six different vintages in the cellar ready to give continuity to this dream, one after the other ” comments Paolo Bava .
The grapes were harvested entirely by hand to respect their integrity; the musts with a 50% yield were selected from the pressing, and, at the end of the alcoholic fermentation, the malolactic fermentation took place entirely for Espressione Bianc. After the tirage, carried out the following spring, in April 2019, both wines were aged for 60 months (five years) on the lees. After the dégorgement, the bottles rested for 10 months in the cellar to allow the wines to recreate their balance before being put on the market.
The zero dosage enhances the natural acidity of the grapes and exalts the varietal characteristics of the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir of Alta Langa in the 2018 vintage.
Espressione Bianc 2018: a wine with color full and whole gold. The initial smoky and toasted yeasty aromas are seductive and soon give way to banana puree, cedar and lemon jam, fresh mango. Aromas of jasmine, almond milk, white musk and hazelnut leaf give complexity and stratify the taste. The structure is compact and enveloping, with great density of fruit and crunchiness. The finish is balsamic with a touch of smoky, toasted almond and white spices. Fine and intriguing bubbles.
Espressione Noir 2018 : the long aging on the lees highlights the dense and complex texture of the best pure Pinot Noir, developing delicate colors tending towards daffodil gold yellow with greenish reflections, uniform throughout the glass and very fine bubbles. The aromas are elegant: ample first impact, with fresh hazelnut, walnut husk, lemon and cedar concentrate and a range of white-fleshed fruit and persistent saline notes. In the mouth, there is a good flavor and the typical dry taste of pas dosè, a fresh, defined and long flavor that recalls Langa hazelnuts and candied white fruits, always maintaining a good balance with light acid tones.