What are the best wines from Oltrepò Pavese? Discover our list with photos, descriptions and tastings of the best wines from Oltrepò Pavese
- Best sparkling wines of Oltrepò Pavese
- Best white and red wines of Oltrepò Pavese
- History of wines of Oltrepò Pavese
- Grapes and Terroir of Oltrepò Pavese
- Food of Oltrepò Pavese
BEST WINES FROM OLTREPÒ PAVESE recommended by Jean Marco Palmieri
What are the best wines from Oltrepò Pavese? Discover the wines recommended by Italy’s Finest Wines. The section on the best wines will be divided into two categories: best sparkling wines and best red and white wines.
MIGLIORI VINI SPUMANTI DELL’ OLTREPÒ PAVESE
‘Farfalla Cave Privée’ Extra Brut 2015 – Ballabio
Characteristics:
Delicate notes of pain aux raisin, candied orange peel, melted butter and floral highlights. The mouth is voluminous and tasty, with a finely rhythmic perlage that gives the sip a broad enveloping sensation. Very persistent finish. Matured on the lees for 8 years.
The historic Oltrepò Pavese winery offers a zero dosage of rare elegance and extraordinary olfactory eloquence. Among the best sparkling wines from the Oltrepò Pavese for taste-olfactory intensity and finesse of perlage.
Grape varieties: Pinot Noir 100%
Blancs de Blancs Extra Brut – Monsupello
Description:
It opens fragrant with notes of pink grapefruit and melted butter, embellished with delicate references of brioche bread and sweet spices. On the palate it has an excellent structure, with a creamy and inviting perlage. Rich and persistent finish.
One of the best wines from the Oltrepò Pavese for olfactory complexity, embellished with interesting evolutionary notes.
Grape varieties: Chardonnay 100%
I Ger Pas Dosé 2017 – Alessio Brandolini
Characteristics:
Balsamic aromas of medicinal herbs enriched by tones of apricots and peaches in syrup, on a background of orange blossom and mimosa flowers. In the mouth, the texture is silky and lively, with pleasant savory sensations that lead to a long-lasting citrus finish.
Obtained from the company’s most suitable vineyard, a Blanc de Noirs of extraordinary character and oenological precision. I Ger Pas Dosé is one of the best wines from the Oltrepò Pavese for finesse of aromas, intensity and persistence.
Grape varieties: 100% Pinot Noir
Oltrepò Pavese Vincenzo Comi’ Riserva del Fondatore Brut 2016 – Travaglino
Characteristics:
Notes of elderflower and toasted hazelnuts turn into sensations of melted butter, bread crust and saltiness. On the palate it has an excellent structure, characterized by a creamy perlage embellished with a strong mineral iodine note that gives character and length to the sip. Refines for at least 60 months on the yeasts.
The historic Travaglino winery delights us with a label that once again confirms itself as one of the best wines of the Oltrepò Pavese. Of great volume and olfactory eloquence.
Grape varieties: Pinot Noir 100%
Oltrepò Pavese ‘Cuvée dell’Angelo’ 2013 – Castello di Cigognola
Description:
It opens on delicate notes of red currant and pomegranate seeds embellished with registers of viennoiserie and saltiness. The perlage is material, creamy and enveloping and extends towards a finish of good length, flavor and cleanliness. Pas dosé wine, aged for 72 months on the yeasts.
The ‘More Pas Dosé by Castello di Cigognola is an exciting wine with excellent potential in gastronomic pairings: fully among the best wines of the Oltrepò Pavese.
Grape varieties: Pinot Noir 100%
Oltrepò Pavese Brut Martinburgo – La Travaglina
Description:
Olfactory texture played on small chamomile and hawthorn flowers, ripe pears, orange blossom honey and bread crust.
On the palate it is dense and creamy, supported by a nice savory vein that leaves the mouth toned and satisfied. Refines on the yeasts for 36 months.
From a historic family-run company, a vertical Oltrepò Pavese, with excellent structure and harmonious and eloquent aromas. Deservedly among the best wines of the Oltrepò Pavese.
Oltrepò Pavese Extra Brut ‘Vergomberra’ 2019 – Bruno Verdi
Description:
Olfactorily it is structured on elegant notes of yellow peach, papaya and lime, embellished with aromatic hints of lavender and elderflower.
On the palate it stands out for its softness, supported by a beautiful acid blade that refreshes the sip.
A label with juicy fruit and an elegant and dynamic perlage, fully among the best wines of the Oltrepò Pavese.
Region: Lombardy (Oltrepò Pavese)
Oltrepò Pavese ‘Roccapietra’ Zero Pas Dosè 2017 – Scuropasso
Characteristics:
Nose layered on notes of jasmine, orange blossom flowers and citrus brushstrokes embellished with reminiscences of medicinal herbs. On the palate it is characterized by dense and silky bubbles, supported by a well-integrated acid blade that draws the sip towards a refreshing finish with good persistence.
A zero dosage with a lysergic olfactory profile. Roccapietra di Scuropasso is one of the best wines from the Oltrepò Pavese for its unique character and exceptional drinkability.
Grape varieties: Pinot Noir 100%
Oltrepò Pavese Zero Nature – Giorgi
Description:
Lime, ginger, dehydrated apricot and rosemary honey slowly give way to notes of sweet spices and bread crust. The sip is characterized by a creamy and inviting foam and a strong acidic edge that encourages drinking.
A full and enveloping wine, with great structure and fine, lively bubbles.
Deservedly among the best wines of the Oltrepò Pavese for precision and harmony. Excellent value for money.
Oltrepò Pavese ‘Nature – La Piotta
Characteristics:
On the nose, decisive floral nuances and notes of pineapple and ripe pear emerge, alternating with brushstrokes of chalk and croissant.
The perlage is material and enveloping, with a well-defined live acidity and a finish of excellent persistence on the fruit.
A Blanc de Noirs with an authentic, very fresh and highly typical profile. Fully among the best wines of the Oltrepò Pavese for the intelligibility of the fruit, fresh and crunchy.
Grape varieties: 100% Pinot Noir
MIGLIORI VINI ROSSI E BIANCHI DELL’OLTREPÒ PAVESE
Poggio della Buttinera 2019 – Travaglino
Characteristics:
Raspberry and wild strawberry embellished with cotton candy, cinnamon and delicate well-integrated woody tones. On the palate it is fresh and harmonious, with excellent length and flavor. Excellent persistence with echoes of fruit and spices.
The Pinot Noir Riserva Poggio della Buttinera is produced from one of the most suitable Crus of the Oltrepò Pavese, which gives life to a wine of great finesse. Fully among the best Pinot Noir in Italy for aromas of great varietal clarity and a palate of great elegance.
Grape varieties: 100% Pinot Noir
Pinot Nero ‘Giorgio Odero’ 2019 – Frecciarossa
Description: Suggests intense aromas of red berries, medicinal herbs, leather and liquorice. The sip is rich and hinges on some harshness, including a prominent tannin in the making and a marked acidity. Aging 12 months in 25 hl wooden barrels and 6 months in steel. Finale of great presence and imperishable persistence.
Dedicated to the historic founder of Freccia Rossa Giorgio Odero: One of the best wines from the Oltrepò Pavese for its classic and exciting character. Of great interest is the oenological work carried out by the oenologist Gianluca Scaglione and his daughter Valeria, who carry on the tradition by embellishing it with a modern approach. Also worth considering is the Pinot Noir Carillo which expresses a thinner and more fragrant character.
Grape varieties: 100% Pinot Noir
Pinot Nero ‘Noir’ 2019 – Tenuta Mazzolino
Description:
It opens on incisive notes of redcurrant, morello cherry and delicate woody notes. On the palate it is broad and intense, with a thick but smooth tannin synergistically linked to a tantalizing acidity that favors drinking.
Final with delicate references to fruit and spices.
Impeccable value for money, one of the best expressions of Italian Pinot Noir from the Oltrepò Pavese.
Lombardy region
Pinot Nero 2019 – Conte Vistarino Pernice
Description:
With an affable nose of morello cherry and cherry, to make room for more austere, toasted and roasted notes. Juicy, velvety in the mouth, with an engaging and measured tannic texture and excellent persistence with references to the fruit. Refines for 1 year in French barriques, at least 1 year in the bottle.
From a historic cellar, one of the best wines of the Oltrepò Pavese for its elegant and engaging character. Count Carlo Vistarino is an icon of Pinot Noir in the Oltrepò Pavese, in fact it is claimed that he brought the Pinot Noir cuttings from Burgundy around 1850.
Grape varieties: Pinot Noir 100%
Riesling ‘Campo Dottore’ Riserva Mon Carul 2020 – Calatroni
Characteristics:
Smell initially played on floral notes of orange blossom, which are accompanied by registers of white peach embellished with more enigmatic hints of medicinal herbs, hydrocarbons and viennoiserie. Palate characterized by a pressing acidity and imperishable persistence at the end with echoes in which the fruit echoes as the protagonist.
One of the best wines from the Oltrepò Pavese for its whimsical elegance and sensational interpretation of the Riesling varietal: the note of alternating iodine flavor and acidity creates a very compelling dialectic.
Grape varieties: Riesling 100%
Tiāmat Pinot Nero 2019 – Cordero San Giorgio
Characteristics:
Red currants, wild strawberries and blueberries are the overture to a bouquet that continues on tones of undergrowth and delicate nuances of tobacco and toasted notes. The sip is soft and balanced, with silky tannin and good acidity which favors drinkability. Good persistence finish on the red fruit.
Cordero San Giorgio knows well how to enhance Pinot Noir in its territory: it gives us a wine with great fragrance and very pleasant drinking, fully among the best wines of the Oltrepò Pavese. Great expectations for the new Pinot Noir reserves.
Grape varieties: Pinot Noir 100%
Renano 2021 – Pietro Torti
Strong notes of pink grapefruit, honey and subtle hints of hydrocarbons emerge on the nose.
In the mouth, this wine offers a pleasant flavor and lively acidity which enhance its extraordinary freshness. After pressing, the must ferments spontaneously in stainless steel tanks for 12-15 days thanks to natural yeasts. The wine subsequently matures for a few months in steel.
Pietro Torti’s Renano represents a very captivating interpretation of Riesling, thanks to its ability to combine aromatic finesse and presence on the palate.
Grape varieties:Riesling
Cà del Cervo Buttafuoco 2019 – Vitea
Characteristics:
The nose is broad and fragrant, ranging from notes of sour cherries, raspberries and ripe cherries, to then be peppered with nuances of humus and undergrowth. On the palate the important acidity gives a very pleasant freshness which supports a velvety tannic texture of medium structure. Great persistence finish embellished with mentholated reminiscences and medicinal herbs.
One of the most interesting and successful interpretations of Buttafuoco, with an interesting quality-price ratio. To be counted among the best wines of the Oltrepò Pavese for originality and enjoyment.
Grape varieties:Croatina, Barbera, Uva Rara, Vespolina
Riesling ‘San Rocco’ 2016 – Castello di Stefanago
Characteristics:
Layered aromatic profile: opens on notes of elderberry and hawthorn, continuing towards hydrocarbon tones and light oxidative notes. On the palate it flows dense and voluminous but at the same time fresh and saline. Bitter finish of great freshness and flavor.
From one of the most virtuous artisanal wineries in the Oltrepò Pavese, the Castello di Stefanago Riesling is a wine of unusual finesse and great aging potential. Fully among the best wines of the Oltrepò Pavese for its ability to maximize the varietal character of the Rhineland vine.
Grape varieties:Riesling
Barbacarlo 2021 – Lino Maga
The nose opens with vinous and fruity notes of black cherry and mulberry on display, followed by hints of medicinal herbs and wild notes.
On the palate, it shows evidence of effervescence: fresh, discreetly tannic with a light sweet note.
Barbacarlo, created by the iconic genius loci of the Oltrepò Pavese, Lino Maga, cannot be missing from the selection of wines from this area for their traditional style. A wine whose historical and symbolic value transcends the mere organoleptic evaluation, which in this case is inevitably superfluous.
Grape varieties:Croatina 50%, Uva Rara 30%, Ughetta 20%
BRIEF HISTORY OF OLTREPÒ PAVESE WINES
The wines of Oltrepò Pavese have a long history, as evidenced by the fossil vine shoot dating back to prehistoric times and preserved in the Archaeological Museum of Casteggio. Viticulture in Oltrepò Pavese has been handed down by various peoples throughout history, from the Etruscans to the Romans up to the Lombards, the latter choosing Pavia as the capital of their Kingdom.
During the 19th century, the Oltrepò Pavese experienced an oenological renaissance thanks to technical discoveries, and alien varieties were introduced such as Pinot Noir (instigated by Count Carlo Vistarino) and Riesling (by the Austrians who dominated Lombardy-Veneto at the time).
In 1865 the first modern Italian traditional method sparkling wine was born, obtained from the synergistic work between the Gancia brothers and Count Augusto di Vistarino who imported Pinot Noir cuttings from Burgundy.
Starting from 1900, the wines of the Oltrepò Pavese managed to enter international markets, as in the case of the sparkling wines of the Oltrepò Pavese from the Società Vinicola Italiana of Casteggio, which already in 1905 occupied advertising signs on the streets of New York.
In the years to come, countless social wineries flourish in the Oltrepò Pavese, allowing numerous winemakers to join together by amortizing the fixed costs, obtaining quality wines with a good quality/price ratio. This phenomenon favored the recovery of the agricultural tradition of the Oltrepò Pavese by the new generations in the post-war period.
From the second half of the 1900s, the cellars multiplied and the Oltrepò Pavese became increasingly successful until it became the largest wine-growing reality in Lombardy, with approximately 13,500 hectares of vineyards and 60% of the regional wine produced.
In 1970 the wines of the Oltrepò Pavese obtained the recognition of the prestigious DOC, which included all the types of wine produced in this area.
Subsequently, in 2007 the specific denomination Oltrepò Pavese DOCG was introduced and in 2010 the specific DOCs were introduced for Pinot Nero dell’Oltrepò Pavese DOC, for Bonarda dell’Oltrepò Pavese DOC and other wines such as Buttafuoco dell’Oltrepò Pavese DOC, Pinot Grigio dell’Oltrepò Pavese DOC and Oltrepò Pavese Sangue di Giuda DOC.
GRAPE VARIETIES AND TERROIR OF OLTREPÒ PAVESE
The Oltrepò Pavese area includes the area south of Pavia, with its characteristic cluster shape (or an inverted triangle) wedged between Emilia-Romagna, Liguria and Piedmont. This area, from which over 60% of the wine produced in Lombardy comes, is crossed by the 45th parallel, a crossroads of the greatest wines in the world.
The wine-growing vocation of the area is very high: the Apennine soils rich in marl, marl, limestone, and chalk, combined with good hilly exposures create extremely favorable conditions for viticulture. The varieties grown with excellent results in the Oltrepò Pavese area are therefore many, as are the types of wine.
The main vines grown in Oltrepò Pavese are Barbera vinified both alone and in blends with other vines, and Croatina, which is the backbone of wines such asButtafuocodell’Oltrepò Pavese DOC or Sangue di Giuda DOC.
TheCroatinais also the basis of perhaps the most representative wine of the Oltrepò Pavese, theBonarda dell’Oltrepò Pavese DOC, often vinified in a sparkling version.
The Oltrepò Pavese area is also the first Italian area for the production of Pinot Noir, used largely for the production of Blanc de Noirs (Oltrepò Pavese DOCG) or Cruasè (rosé) sparkling wines, but has also given rise to some of the most iconic and historic Pinot Noir vinified in red in Italy.
The hills rich in calcareous marl and chalk are instead very suitable for the production of Riesling.
FOOD OF OLTREPO’ PAVESE
Now that we have discovered the wines of Oltrepò Pavese, let’s also discover gastronomy. The traditional cuisine of the Oltrepò Pavese is linked to local products, in particular pork and mushrooms. Of great interest is the Salame di Varzi DOP, considered one of the best Italian sausages.
To accompany local cured meats and cheeses, try the Schita, a pancake fried in lard or oil which accompanies both local cured meats and sugar, jam or honey, or the Brüsadela, a disk of bread dough which in the sweet version also becomes a delicious snack.
Among the first courses worth considering are the Agnolotti Pavesi filled with stewed meat, or the Risotto alla Vogherese with peppers, the Zuppa alla Pavese, with bread and fresh egg.
Among the second courses you can instead opt for the Bollito Misto, made up of mixed meats, from beef stew, to veal tail, to kneecap and veal head. Often accompanied by green sauce or with the typical Voghera mustard, or with peppers.
The wines of Oltrepò Pavese are also worth trying with other traditional Lombard dishes such as Risotto with Saffron and Ossobuco, sensational with Pinot Noir, or Cassoeula, ideal with Bonarda from Oltrepò Pavese.
Among the gastronomic events to take into consideration is the Truffle and Honey Fair, which takes place in November in Casteggio.
What are the best wines of Oltrepò Pavese?
What is the best wine from Oltrepò Pavese? Choosing is an arduous undertaking, which however is inevitably subject to the limits of a subjective opinion, which as such, by definition, is deficient and arbitrary. We have drawn up our list of interpretations of virtuous quality of Otrepò Pavese wines from the best wineries according to our evaluations.
However, it remains essential to underline that the best wine from the Oltrepò Pavese is the one that is capable of moving us, also by linking it to contingent situations and unrepeatable and intimate moments of our lives.
Therefore, we invite you to discover all the wineries that produce wines from the Oltrepò Pavese in their uniqueness, so that you can independently find and choose the wine that can be included for you among your best wines from the Oltrepò Pavese.
