Pop Stars

Bubbly delights from Southern Italy, Sonoma

By Warren Rojas

2006 C. Donatiello Russian River Valley Pinot Noir (Courtesy of C. Donatiello Winery)

Special occasion, smecial occasion.

Our Wine Pros enjoy sparkling wines just about any time, whether munching pizza down the block or sipping pretty in Northern California.

Jake Parrott reconnected with Grotta del Sole Gragnano at the just-opened Pizzeria Orso, hailing the “serious core of earth and mineral” and “exuberant plum and berry” notes of the 2009 vintage. “The fizz and the fresh acidity combine to make this wine a great palate cleanser and a heck of a lot better than most still wines offered by the glass at Virginia restaurants,” he suggested.

Parrot found the 2009 Fratelli Urciuolo Fiano di Avellino ($16) plays it much straighter, wooing fans with its “fragrant, floral nose” while splashing “ripe Bosc pear” and “salty minerality” across the palate.

On the opposite coast, Kelly Magyarics encountered two pinot noirs to pine for.

The 2006 Iron Horse Wedding Cuvée ($38) was a blast from the past—“I forgot how absolutely sublime it is,” Magyarics gushed—she was only too happy to get reacquainted with. “It’s rich and elegant, with a creamy mousse,” she offered.

Magyarics’ other score was the 2006 C. Donatiello Russian River Valley Pinot Noir ($38), a full-bodied red punctuated by “dried cranberries, cherry, mocha and a touch of spicy black pepper.” She pictures it the perfect partner for seared duck breast with black peppercorn sauce over baby arugula.

(August 2010)