“La Bella Estate” Moscato Passito Piemonte DOC 2023 dolce

Az. Agr. Terre da Vino | Vite Colte | Piedmont
Terre da Vino S.p.A | Via Bergesia 6 | IT 12060 Barolo

05100423 · 0,75 l · 26,53 €/l · Price (DE) incl. VAT, excl. Shippingavailable immediately

"A quei tempi era sempre festa" – back then there was always a party. Thus begins Cesare Pavese's novel "La bella estate", written in 1940 and awarded the Premio Strega in 1950, a tale about those fleeting summers of youth when anything seems possible. It is no coincidence that Vite Colte named its Moscato Passito after this work: the Barolo cooperative has dedicated several of its wines to Piedmontese Liters– "La Luna e i Falò", also a Pavese title, adorns their award-winning Barbera d'Asti. It is a nod to their homeland, to the landscape of hills and mist that Pavese described so unmistakably.

The vineyards for this Passito are located in the heart of the classic Moscato zone, cultivated with radically low yields – 25 hectolitres per hectare, a third of what is usual elsewhere. Years of research into the over-ripening of Moscato grapes and the development of terpene aromas have refined the techniques: the aim is to leave the grapes on the vine for as long as possible without jeopardising their health – a balancing act that enables the highest concentration of sugar and flavour. After pressing, the precious must ferments for twenty days at a controlled temperature. This is followed by twelve months on the fine lees, during which the wine finds the balance that characterises it: Sweetness without heaviness, opulence without fatigue.

It has an intense golden yellow colour in the glass. The nose reveals the full spectrum of Moscato: musk and orange blossom, honey and candied fruit, yellow melon and a hint of sage. It is warm and full on the palate, with a sweetness that is not sticky but carries – 130 grams of residual sugar, which feels surprisingly light-footed. With mature Gorgonzola, almond biscuits or simply as a meditation on a beautiful summer that never quite goes away. SUPERIORE.DE

"Pronounced straw yellow with golden reflections. Very intense bouquet of lychee, pineapple and honey, with a hint of nutmeg and a slightly medicinal flavour. Noticeably sweet on the palate, dominated by dried tropical fruit with supporting acidity and great length." Falstaff