Important Update From the Founder
Read message >
Tasting Ferrari's range of sparkling wines
Tasted April 12, 2023 by PSPatrick with 67 views
Introduction
Tasting menu at the Ferrari bar on Costa Toscana. Six sparkling wines by Ferrari, paired with a seven-course-menu. The food is great, so if you end up on a cruise with Costa Toscana or Costa Smeralda I recommend you try the tasting menu.
Flight 1 (6 notes)
White - Sparkling
2017 Ferrari Perlé
89 points
Wine 1 of 6. 100% Chardonnay. Typically about 54 months on the lees before disgorgement. Freshly opened bottle. Apple, citrus, almond, light biscuit, and a faint hint of smoke, with good acidity and average to good length. The mousse is fine perceived as lightly creamy. Light-bodied and quite pleasant. Smooth and creamy. When we returned to the wine after we had sampled the Ferrari Perlé Zero 2014 the Perlé 2017 came across as a little simple, naturally. A good sparkling wine, but I prefer the Ferrari Maximum Blanc de Blancs for everyday drinking, and the Ferrari Perlé Cuvée Zero for special occasions.
White - Sparkling
N.V. Ferrari Maximum Blanc de Blancs
90 points
Wine 2 of 6. 100% Chardonnay. 30 months on the lees before disgorgement. Freshly opened bottle. Fruity, citrus driven, with hints of biscuit, almond and flint, backed by fresh, medium(+) acidity. The mousse is fine and creamy. Great persistence. Very good. One of my favourite bottlings of Ferrari.
Rosé - Sparkling
N.V. Ferrari Trento Maximum Rosé
89 points
Wine 3 of 6. A blend of 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay. 36 months on the lees before disgorgement. Medium pinkish salmon colour. Fruity. Mixed berries, light almond, and light brioche, with good acidity and good length. The mouse is medium-fine and perceived as lightly creamy. A good rosé.
White - Sparkling
N.V. Ferrari Perlé Zero Cuvée Zero 14
91 points
Wine 4 of 6. 100% Chardonnay, with a minimum of 60 months on the lees before disgorgement. Ripe apple, dried apricot, tangerine, hazelnut, almond, marzipan, and smoke, with good, medium to medium(+) acidity, and very good length. The mousse is fine and creamy if slightly aggressive. Very different from the other Ferrari’s. Great complexity. A very good sparkling wine. My wife loved it!
Rosé - Sparkling
2016 Ferrari Brut Perlé Rosé Riserva
89 points
Wine 5 of 6. A blend of 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay. Medium salmon colour. Red berries, almond, biscuit, light spice notes, and a hint of smoke, with medium level acidity and good length. Creamy mousse. Good. But I have a slight preference for the regular Maximum Rosé NV for its better balance of fruit and autolysis notes.
White - Sparkling
N.V. Ferrari Maximum Demi-sec
Wine 6 of 6. 100% Chardonnay. 36 months on the lees before disgorgement. No notes.
Closing
Good quality across the range. However, the differentiation between the different lines of Ferrari wines and putting them in order of quality remains difficult to me. And I cannot find the sweet spot for the mid-level Perlé range since in Ferrari's lines I would always opt up for more complexity or opt down for more fruit and better value for money.