The 150 hectares of vineyard owned by the Azienda Agricola Conte Collalto of Principessa Isabella Collalto de Croÿ constitute today a true repository of Incrocio Manzoni grape varieties. Professor Luigi Manzoni himself, in fact, was the one who selected the vineyards that surround the Collalto family’s Castello di San Salvatore for his viticultural experimentation in the 1920s and 1930s, when he planted there vine crosses that showed the most promise for exploiting the full viticultural potential of the Marca Trevigiana area. 

On the occasion of Vinitaly 2009, the Collalto winery will debut an unusual, fragrant, extra-dry style sparkling wine produced from the Manzoni moscato 13.0.25 grape, one of the celebrated researcher’s rarest creations, a cross between two red varieties, raboso Piave and moscato d'Amburgo, a cross that is widely acknowledged as one of the most impressive sparkling-wine grapes in current use.

Its lively pink hue, the seductive scents making up its bouquet, and the refreshing crispness of its palate all converge to make Collalto Rosé a delicious, distinctive choice for enjoying on many occasions throughout the day. It has just the slightest touch of sweetness, which makes it a refreshing “anytime aperitif” as well as a versatile partner to a wide range of fine dishes from the “fresh and light” side of Italian cuisine. The adventuresome will be delighted by how well it complements delicate Japanese cuisine and by how superbly it enhances the qualities of novel dishes from creative chefs.    

This is a sparkling wine with passion, that enraptures with the sheer impact of its appearance, its clean-edged fragrances, its ease of drinking, and its utter distinctiveness in the glass, a wine that is an accolade to the fine hand of Collalto in crafting sparkling wines that are unsurpassingly indigenous.

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The flourishing world of Italian sparklers is further enriched today by a sparkling rosé produced from the Manzoni moscato, one of the many new varieties created in the 1920s and 1930s by Professor Luigi Manzoni, head the Scuola Enologica at Conegliano. This painstaking researcher spent almost 20 years in developing numerous crosses between wine-grape varieties, in order to develop grape varieties that would showcase the finest qualities of which the Marca Trevigiana viticultural area is capable.

Between 1930 and 1935, Professor Manzoni assigned each cross a three-number identification code, which indicated the vine row, the chronological series (middle number), and the individual vine in that row. 

Among all of his many experiments, as documented in the authoritative study authored by oenologist Enzo Michelet and Dr. Severina Cancellier of the Scuola Enologica in Conegliano, only a few varietal combinations really stood out in quality. The first and best known is the Manzoni bianco 6.0.13, a cross of white riesling and pinot bianco. This variety has become for Collalto a standard-bearer among its still whites, and winemakers not only in the Veneto but throughout Italy as well are devoting considerable efforts to it, turning out impressive still and sparkling wines. The second of the three was the unexpected union between the noble cabernet sauvignon and the traditional local prosecco grape, which gave rise to Manzoni rosso 2.15; Collalto is justly proud of producing a superb exemplar of this variety, a red wine that is impressively structured and yet refreshingly drinkable. The third successful experiment, the Manzoni rosato 13.0.25, is the fruit of a cross between two red grapes, the crisp, emphatic raboso Piave and the aromatic moscato d'Amburgo. It is a fantastic treat, a grape that has always been the focus of jealous attention at Collalto, and only today, on this occasion, after years of experimentation in the vineyard and in the cellar, is Collalto introducing that wine to the public. 

It was right in the vineyards of Conte Collalto, surrounding the striking Castello di San Salvatore, that Prof. Manzoni planted many of his rootlings. From that point on, the winery has never slacked in lavishing attention on these experimental vineyards, aware as it is that they represent a tremendous resource for the further development of the winery’s productive philosophy and a spur towards continued improvements in both vineyards and wines. 

Isabella Collalto de Croÿ, the eldest daughter of Principe Manfredo di Collalto, currently directs the 150 hectares of vineyards and the magnificent wine cellar at Susegana. Together with her production team, Isabella Collalto chose today as the debut of her first sparkling Rosé Metodo Charmat, made from Manzoni moscato.

Prof. Luigi Manzoni described his variety thus:

“One might be tempted to smile at this rather odd varietal combination. But I came round to believing, however, that moscato d'Amburgo was just right for the roughness of the raboso, since it transmitted to the latter its own qualities of elegance quite undiminished...”

(Cancellier S., Roncador I. 1997 – Gli Incroci Manzoni. La Tipografica 2000, Treviso)

Collalto Rosé is presented in a package that is both refined and elegant, in the classic Champagne bottle of dark glass that identifies all of the Collalto sparkling wines. The label boasts the winery’s well-known shield logo, in shades of pink, but in a deliberately reduced size, suggesting a more exotic object, a coral shell, precious and pearlescent, while the bottle itself is crowned with a stylish capsule in delicate pink.

The few thousands of bottles made of the 2008 vintage will be released onto the Italian and international markets in the 750ml size.

Text: Aurora Endrici – Vinoè Comunicazione Vino 

Conte Collalto Press Office

Dr. Cristiana Cirielli tel 0438 738241

cristiana.cirielli@cantine-collalto.it

comunicazione@cantine-collalto.it