The social winery Torrevilla has a centuries-old history. It is one of the few collective wineries in Oltrepò that was really able to renew itself and to focus exclusively on quality, making use, today, of the management of one of the most experienced and reliable enologists in the area: Gabriele Picchi. A superlative manager, Picchi has strengthened the adherence of Torrevilla wines to the splendid terroir of the hills of Oltrepò, intensifying the central role of research and experimentation in this direction.
Pure Pinot Noir vinified in white and converted into sparkling wine is one of the flagships of Oltrepò Pavese. No other area in Italy, and probably in the world, is capable of bottling a blanc de noirs so intense, round and structured. Novemesi is, in fact, one of these, and in addition it is converted into sparkling wine using the the so-calledlong Charmat method technique. In other words, it is not a refermentation in the bottle like in the classic or champenois method, but autoclave, beads as in the Charmat method. Only that the wine, instead of resting on the yeasts in these containers for those few weeks needed to form the beads, remains there for several months, in this case nine.
The result? A Charmat method that preserves the persuasive and vinous fragrances of Pinot Noir, but which at the same time is made more complex, profound and long-lived by the hints of yeast, which recall the personality of a classic method. With a fine and persistent perlage, it is of a perfect straw-yellow colour with golden reflections. The bouquet, though fragrant, is very intense, and recalls ripe apricot, dried peach, hay, on a dense texture of subtle yeasts and bread crust. On the palate it is ample, soft, creamy but graceful, with reminiscences of sweet almonds and a persistence that for character and cleanliness is more than comparable to a classic method. A wine of extreme versatility, it is certainly ideal as an aperitif but should be tried throughout the meal, with light dishes, such as fish, vegetables, white meats.
