Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/898117
76 / the tasting panel / november 2017 If Matricardi seems proud of his wines, it's for a good reason. Rotari produces superbly delicate, aromatic, and complex sparkling wines using the metodo classico technique (Italian for méthode Champenoise—the French technique used to make Champagne), which includes secondary fermentation in the bottle, dosage, riddling, and extended aging on lees (Rotari ages its Brut and Rosé sur lie (on the lees) for a minimum of 24 months instead of the 15 months required by Trento DOC regulation). The Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes used for Rotari's produc- tion are hand-harvested from vineyards grown in the traditional double pergola system of Trentino. The vineyards are also rigorously controlled for small yields and adhere to strict sustainable vineyard management standards. Following disgorgement, the wines are aged for at least an additional three months in bottle before going to market. "Rotari seeks above all to speak the Trentino dialect," continues Matricardi. "When making sparkling wine in the metodo classico, it is obvious to use Champagne as the benchmark, but we decided to be distinctly Trentino instead of being 'Champagne-like.'" When discussing the upcoming release, Matricardi notes that 2014 had been one of the coolest harvests of the last decade. "We know that the climate is changing, so sometimes we can man- age to still bring a good equilibrium to our wines thanks to the diversity of elevation in the vineyards," he explains. Indeed, at 1,500 feet above sea level and nestled in the Southern Limestone Alps, Trentodoc—the regional trade- mark for wines from the Trento DOC— is one of the few places in the world where you can see vineyards growing next to glaciers. "The 2014 has been a vintage where we needed to work with grapes between 700–1,000 feet above sea level," Matricardi says before explain- ing that these lower-elevation vineyard sites produce riper fruit to balance out the effects of the cooler vintage. "The incredible positive aspect of 2014 is the crispness and the freshness of the nose, and the fantastic notes of lime, grapefruit, and green apple are incredibly refreshing." While Prosecco may have opened the floodgate for Italian sparkling wines, Rotari aims to be the harbinger of qual- ity—and affordable—metodo classico, riding the wave into the U.S. market with wines that satisfy the desire for elegance and everyday luxury. Lucio Matricardi, Ph.D., is Rotari's Winemaker. "When making sparkling wine in the metodo classico, it is obvious to use Champagne as the benchmark, but we decided to be distinctly Trentino instead of being 'Champagne-like.'" PHOTO COURTESY OF ROTARI