TerraQuilia: The Complexity of Metodo Ancestrale
10/5/20 -
The TerraQuilia 2018 Lambrusco dell'Emilia Falconero Zero is a stunning bottle of sparkling wine. While showing exceptional freshness, it mixes slightly bitter essences of rustic herbs and spices with the softer flavors and aromas of dried red and blue fruits. The bubbles seem to crackle in the glass when first poured, producing a zippy mouthfeel that pricks at the tongue, and eccentuates the crispy, dry notes of clove, stripped bark and licorice. Over time, however, when the wine has had a moment to relax, the structure transforms into only a slightly effervescent host of warm dried forest fruits, like wild cherry and blueberry. I love wines that have two faces. The ones that change from one interesting mode to another.
The Terraquilia estate is located in Guigila, south of Modena in Emilia-Romagna. Grapes are, and have always been, grown organically. Fermentation is done naturally, and only low doses of sulfur are used for stablization. All the wines offered today are produced in the metodo ancestrale, which means the wine is bottled before fermentation is finished, allowing bubbles of carbon dioxide to naturally develop as fermenation runs its course in bottle. There is no dosage. In the case of the Falconero Zero, after a few months of lees aging, the wine is riddled, then disgorged. It is sediment free, clean and edgy. The two other wines that we're offering today, the 2017 Lambrusco dell'Emilia Col Fondo Falcorubens and the 2018 Bianco dell'Emilia Col Fondo Terrebianche are not disgorged, and they reflect this in their more savory and softer texture.
As for me, the Falconero Zero drank perfectly alongside some hommeade caponata. Not a complicated dish, but full of contrasting flavors. If you're experimenting in the kitchen these days, as most of the world's population seems to be doing, I couldn't recommend these bottles enough. They are supremely drinkable, and all three can be paired with a versatile list of dishes. Great for those pushing their culinary boundaries during this Autumn in quarantine!
-David Hatzopoulos
