nv Pojer e Sandri, Zero Infinito, Pétillant Naturel, Trentino Bianco Frizzante, Alto Adige, Italy.
Located high up on the steep Eastern side of remote and deep valley above the Adige river in the Trento region, Pojer e Sandri is a fabulous producer of totally unique wines, like this beautiful and refreshing Zero Infinito Sparkling Wine, it is crisp, mineral driven, slightly cloudy and bone dry, a perfect Summer sip bubbly. Made from a rare hybrid grape, the bright and peachy Pojer e Sandri Zero Infinito Frizzante is crafted using the ancestral method or Pet Nat (Pétillant Naturel) style and finished with a non pretentious pop top cap. The all organic grapes here are set on the area’s volcanic origin, porphyry, soils that help give the very aromatic Zero Infinito its distinction and the mineral spiciness it displays in the glass. This release has loads of zesty character and vibrancy with citrus blossoms, the mentioned peach, green apple, lemon and a touch of tropical fruit along with mountain herbs, wet stones and chamomile. The mousse is a bit foamy at first, though it becomes more graceful as you sip on it and the beading bubbles feel nicely electric on the lighter framed palate.
The Pojer e Sandri Zero Infinito is made from 100% Solaris, a disease resistant varietal, that, as the winery says, was born in Freiburg (Germany) back in 1975, it was created to get ripe a bit early and adaptable for these cool high elevation regions. The vines used for this wine are in Maso Rella at Grumes in the upper Val di Cembra that reaches 900 meters above sea level with good south and south/west exposures that allow this cool and breezy site to fully ripen the Solaris grapes. Very few acres of Solaris are planted, but it was the result of many years of research work from France, Germany and even in Russia, without any notable success that I can see, except of course here in the Alto Adige where Pojer e Sandri have been using it for 39 years now. Pojer e Sandri is a holistic farm and winery, absolutely no chemicals are used and they make a wide range of products from speciality spirits, like grappa, to fruit and wine vinegars, as well as some very interesting wines from sweet to sparkling, with a beautiful dry Rosé as well that maybe be they signature wine, made from Schiava grapes. I highly recommend trying these natural wines from Pojer e Sandri, they are not easy to find, but well worth the chase!
($30 Est.) 91 Points, grapelive