Italian Flair & Creativity Hit a New High with Bolé & Novebolle
Two beautifully and imaginatively packaged Romagna DOC Spumante wines that sell under the new Novebolle brand should be set to hit the US market soon (COVID-19 & new tariffs notwithstanding). Not only do the bottles look smashing, there is an incredible amount of subtle history applied in their design, too.
Romagna Spumante DOC is about 20 years old, but the Novebolle designation launched only two years ago. Novebollemeans "nine bubbles" in Italian and refers to the nine hills of Romagna whose vineyards are allowed to contribute to this sparkling wine brand. Nove is also close to the Italian word nuove, meaning new. To round off the idea, nove also refers to the roaring days of Romagna sparkling production in the 1900s.
The Bolé brand - the first to use the Novebolle designation - does something that is, frankly, incredible. In a small country - Italy's surface area falls between those of New Mexico and Arizona - that nonetheless often operates rather provincially - even municipally, two of the country's largest - and rival - cooperatives banded together to create Bolé.
The messaging is on point. Bolé works with about 100 growers every year, none of which have more than two hectares. The growers are generally employed elsewhere - and often in something other than wine - but grow grapes on the side. Their small yields aren't commercially viable. Moreover, a number of them them have heritage varieties that few or none are selling as varietal bottlings. A prime example is the Famoso grape, used in the Brut sparkler, which was only recognized as an official grape variety in 2009, despite the fact that it was first mentioned in tax documents back in 1473.
Before you pop the cork on your first bottles, I thought I would mention that prefer these in a wine glass rather than a flute. The flute pushes the wine right into the center palate rather than advancing gently onto the tongue. Besides, Italians drink their sparkling wines in regular wine glasses almost always!
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Bolé NV Trebbiano Novebolle Brut Romagna DOC Spumante 11.5% $NA
This bright, focused and gripping spumante is zesty and lively. It's rather demure aromas show a compelling mix of fruit and non-fruit elements including yellow plum, pear skin, fennel and white tea leaves. It's also got a kick of savory spice on the medium finish. Showing pithiness from start to finish, it is pleasant on its own but - to my taste - best served with food. There is an impressive amount of complexity in this Trebbiano di Romagna accented with 5% of the recently revived Famoso, which has plenty of feisty personality.
85
Bolé NV Rosé Novebolle Extra Brut Romagna DOC Spumante 11.5% $NA
This biting wine certainly feels like an Extra Brut, so those delighting in a searingly dry sparkling wine style will embrace this pale pink fizz. I find it a bit shrill on its own, but it works nicely at the table. The nose is vague and whispy with minerally inflections galore. The fruit tones are initially discreet, but they eventually relent and offer up peach peel and cantaloupe. The palate - especially as the wine lightly warms in the glass - offers strawberry hull, lingonberry and a dash of cinnamon stick. The fizz is impressively fine and elegant. In fact, the bubbles are one of the most impressive aspects of the wine. The finish is moderate with flinty accents.