Tenuta Montemagno

So Welcome to the US: Thrilling Tenuta Montemagno from Italy

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(Gerry Furth-Sides, content and photos from Tenuta Montemagno in Italy) Tenuta

When we received a beautiful, generous gift from Tenuta Montemagno last fall of two bottles of their finest wines, we were so overjoyed we shared them with our wine maven friend, Irv Wynuck. Even after Tenuta Montemagno let us know that they were still exporting, it was only recently we became aware of Italian export situation with prices rising alarmingly (my mainstay, LaVazza espresso), or coming up against international shop shelves empty of Italian food imports. So we are thrilled to learn that these finest wines are still available in the US.

Montemagno offers a very eclectic interpretation of the grape Malvasia di Casorzo DOC, one of the most ancient indigenous grape of the Monferrato area, and the representative of that enological excellence that is characteristic of this part of Piedmont and that is cultivated in the municipality of Casorzo in the province of Asti.

(photo credit: Tenuta Montemagno)

It is a black, aromatic grape whose production is limited and the wine that is obtained leaves a sweet memory to its tasters, thanks to its aromaticity.

The origins of the vine, as is often the case for the indigenous varieties, are lost in the mists of time. Some texts trace the arrival in Piedmont to the thirteenth century, while the registration in the National Catalogue of Vine Varieties is 1968, for a cultivated area of only 107 hectares. 

Tenuta Montemagno offers a very eclectic interpretation of the grape Malvasia di Casorzo DOC,(photo credit: Tenuta Montemagno)

Malvasia di Casorzo DOC belongs to the family of aromatic vines and is characterized by aromas of high finesse with strong fruity and floral notes reminiscent of rose, peach, apricot and raspberry. The persistence to the nose, but also to the palate, is another peculiarity of this vine, while the color well represents the range of reds: from ruby red to cherry red, up to the shades closest to the rose petal based on the vinification completed.

TM ROSES is our Malvasia di Casorzo vinified in purity, sparkling with Charmat method and vinified rosé and sweet, whose alcohol content is about 7% alc. /vol.. The intense pink color with delicate ruby reflections, introduces to the typical scent of rose that distinguishes the vine, to which is added the aromatic complexity of yeast in the process of foaming. On the palate we find sweetness, freshness and delicacy with a strong vivacity and pleasant notes of red fruits and fresh flowers.

The ideal match for TM Roses? Tarts and cakes made with fresh red fruit, in particular strawberries, currants and raspberries or as a festive boil, in the afternoons of summer, for its incredible pleasantness.

NECTAR is a Malvasia Rossa Passita, 100% Malvasia di Casorzo, obtained by natural drying, selecting a few clusters per plant. The drying takes place either by twisting the stalk, when the season allows it, or on mats, followed by soft pressing at the end of the year. In addition, the aging process is characterized by a slow prefermentative performance for 12 months in small oak barrels of second passage. It is a passito with a great structure and an intense red color. The bouquet gives off intense balsamic hints, with fruity notes of wild strawberries, red fruit jam and delicate blueberry syrup and natural fruit.

The palate is sweet, full and harmonious with complex structure and good balance between sweetness and freshness. Nectar also goes perfectly with Tonda Gentile Piemonte IGP hazelnut, grown in the 7 hectares of hazelnut trees of Tenuta Montemagno, exposed to the north.

Malvasia di Casorzo DOC TM Roses would pair beautifully with summer Bava Brothers cured salamis made Italian style in Los Angeles!

The vineyards of Malvasia di Casorzo are all located in the upper-middle part of the hills around the village, so as to have a better exposure to sunlight and better defend from spring frost. The vine Malvasia di Casorzo has a rather long life and offers abundant and constant productions. Compared to other vines, it shows a better resistance to atmospheric agents such as hail and frost.

In the production of Tenuta Montemagno, 100% of the grapes of this vine are used for the composition of a sweet and aromatic red wine, called Malvasia di Casorzo DOC., which is vinified in three different ways: sweet pétillant vinified, Dulcem, charmat sparkling version with TMRoses and finally in Passito – Nectar, each with a style reminiscent of our Malvasia, but with different and specific organoleptic characteristics.

DULCEM is the sweet version pétillante, obtained with natural fermentation, produced with 100% Malvasia di Casorzo grapes, from vineyards with south – south west exposure. The pleasant drinkability of this wine is due to its fragrance, freshness and limited alcohol content of only 5.5%/6% degrees, depending on the vintage. 

The soft pressing and isobaric fermentation in the autoclave preserve the delicate aromas and amplify the notes of wild strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and hints of wild rose. The color is intense red with slight purple reflections. The palate is sweet and tannic at the same time, fresh and soft, with a good liveliness and sensations of red fruits, strawberry and fresh flowers.

The ideal combinations for our Dulcem are the typical desserts of the Piedmontese tradition, such as Bunet (chocolate pudding cooked in a bain-marie), yellow and white peach salad with cream ice cream.

American chocolate lava mini-cakes with fresh blackberries would pair with the grappa ARGENTUM XLV

But my favorite would have to be their grappa ARGENTUM XLV made by Tenuta Montemagno with Malvasia di Casorzo DOC. It is so fine, it is considered “Ideal as a meditation grappa for its taste in purity.” Grappa ARGENTUM XLV is born from the distillation of the best pomace of Malvasia di Casorzo, used to give origin to a soft grappa, of 40 Alcoholic Degrees. Alcoholic. Distilled with ancient techniques, this grappa reveals intense aromas of roses, leaving to the palate a delicate note of aromatic sweetness typical of the vine from which it originates.

grappa ARGENTUM XLV made by Tenuta Montemagno with Malvasia di Casorzo DOC. I

We Celebrate (with) Tenuta Montemagno’s New Dry Sparkling Bruts!

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Piedmont, home of the The award-winning TM Brut 36 and TM Brut 24   (photo courtesy of TM BRUT)

Prosecco from northeast Italy has attained such an affection (or affectation depending on the view) that is is always been the first to come to mind when you think of Italian sparkling wine.    Yet the Barbera variety that makes up  TM24 and TM36 shows how a historic, versatile and  charming bottle-fermented sparkling wines made from both native and international grapes can often be overlooked these days.   We loved it, and so did our wine writer and wine expert friends.

The astonishing 24 (TM24) and 36 months (TM36)

 Experts agree “the very idea  to have the Metodo Classico of 100% Barbera that refines on yeasts for 24 (TM24) and 36 months (TM36) is astonishing. They are known to be sparkling wines born “from the synergy of intuition and innovation.”

TM BRUT: 100% Barbera refines on yeasts for 24 (TM24) and 36 months (TM36)

The Metodo Classico made from Barbera grapes are harvested early, hand picking and carefully curated. The perlage of TM Brut 24 is elegant and fine; the bouquet is intense, delicate and generous, notes of yeast and delicate hints of crusty bread, overtones of freshly picked flowers and wild berries. It is fresh and lively on the palate, with a strong, clear and pleasant taste. The excellent underlying acidity and clearly expresses minerality. And the lingering finish presents light notes of wild plum and currants. Therefore, the peculiar traits of  Barbera – bouquet and acidity, are well present almost as if  weaving the warp on which the other sensations intertwine. TM Brut 24 has been rated 92 point by Wine Enthusiast.

The award-winning TM Brut 36 poured at table for wine writer, Barbara Hansen

If the TMBrut 24 is “unexpected” because of its structure, color and pleasantness, the TM Brut 36 is surprising and unique, enough to be awarded with the Gold Medal – category Sparkling Rosé, in the International wine Competition The Global Sparkling Masters 2020.

The TM Brut 36 is so surprising and unique it earned a Gold Medal in the Sparkling Rosé category at The Global Sparkling Masters 2020.

The bouquet reveals an intense fragrance,  delicate and generous. Notes of yeast and crusty bread, overtones of freshly picked flowers and wild berries. On the palate, it is fresh, lively and savoury, excellent underlying acidity with clearly expressed minerality and a light finish of wild plum and currants.

In this sparkling too, the characteristics of the variety are the texture which the other perfumes and aromas are waived on.

These bottlings are produced using the traditional method, known as metodo classico in Italy. Yeast and sugar are added to still wine, which is then bottled with a crown cap. The yeast then ferments the sugar into alcohol, creating bubbles that contain naturally occurring carbon dioxide.

The TMBrut 24 is “unexpected” because of its structure, color and pleasantness. A toast from wine expert Irv Wynuk (right), and left to right: Pam Wynuck, master chefs Lynette MacDonald and Alex Peña.

The wine then rests on the spent yeast, known as lees, which often imparts sensations of bread crust or brioche before the yeast is removed through a process known as disgorgement. In contrast to sparkling wines that are produced through the Charmat method, like Prosecco, where bubbles are formed in pressurized steel tanks, bottle-fermented sparklers typically boast greater depth, complexity and longevity.

Barbera d’Asti is the identity of Tenuta Montemagno, wine producers in the heart of Monferrato. With perspective, it is clear that the precious and versatile Barbera is the variety that most of all tells the story of Tenuta Montemagno, through its 80 years old vineyards, planted on clay and limestone soil with slightly silty marls, Western facing TM24 and TM36 both are spectacular examples of the traditions and innovations of sparkling wines.

Until the 1990s, metodo classico was made mainly in Northern Italy, specifically in Piedmont, around the town of Trento in Trentino, and in Oltrepò Pavese and Franciacorta in Lombardy. With some notable exceptions, quality often underwhelmed and most of the production remained in the country. Today, there’s an array of stunning sparklers made from a wide range of grape varieties available in the U.S. from lively and linear to complex and elegant.

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