2012 Monte Rossa Franciacorta Cabochon Brut Review And Tasting Notes
2012 Monte Rossa Franciacorta Cabochon Brut is one of the most renowned Italian sparkling wines. One of those has taken the path of fermentation in wood to produce a base wine that is more credible and evolved.
It is undoubtedly the way forward when you have high-quality grapes available and want to produce voluminous and intense wines like this one. On the other hand, it has been years that the great masters of Champagne, such as Selosse and Jacquesson, have switched to fermentation in wood to give more value to their wine.
Let’s start well. The premises are good. We must specify that the sparkling wine we tasted was a 2012 with 2017 disgorgement. Okay, it has aged for 5 years on the lees, but let’s face it, it has just been born. Drunk now is not bad, but it has not yet reached an optimal balance between acidity, flavor, and creamier parts. It is not cohesive and compact. When a classic method is born so ambitious, it needs time in the bottle to achieve the harmony it deserves.
The bouquet
Nose with citrus and pulpy fruit, vibrant, already tending to candied fruit with tropical notes, apricot and then butter and vanilla, sugared almonds, a finish of rocks, and all the pastry scents of yeasts. As a nose, it is clean, algid, precise, and does not get too carried away by spicy notes but focuses on a certain mineral finesse. Good persistence.
The taste
It is impressive, full, and full-bodied in the mouth, with remarkable acidity and many flavors. The taste of this wine is crunchy and greedy despite being aromatically too impetuous and slightly decomposed. With all these suggestions, it is a bit slow in development.
So is this Monte Rossa Franciacorta Cabochon Brut 2012 good or not?
The ones we have highlighted are only little sins of youth. Indeed it is a good thing that they exist. It means that the wine has character, fire, and a lot of matter. It is a discreet sparkling wine, virtually excellent, which at the moment focuses on an acidity that is too sharp, a bit too bold a flavor, and it is hard to find a smooth drink. It needs a few more years to find an optimal balance. To be kept in the cellar for at least 3-4 years.
Price
42-45 euros, a little expensive, but it is a good quality wine.
Food Pairings
Ceviche, pizza with scamorza and zucchini, parmigiana ravioli, spaghetti with clams, chicken tikka masala, Chicken Cacciatore, Vitello Tonnato, truffle risotto, pasta alla carbonara.