Ferrari Maximum Blanc de Blancs from Trentino
Ferrari Maximum Blanc de Blancs: a Trento DOC of 100% Chardonnay from the mountains, 36 months on the lees. Tasting note, background and honest caveats.
You’ve probably seen the big bottles being sprayed around on the Formula 1 podium. That made me curious, and importer Goessens sent me a bottle of Ferrari Maximum Blanc de Blancs. Chardonnay from the mountains of Trentino, 36 months on the lees. I wanted to know what’s inside a bottle like that.
The house
Giulio Ferrari started making metodo classico in Trentino in 1902, the method with a second fermentation in bottle that you know from Champagne. In 1952 the Lunelli family took over. Marcello Lunelli is now the winemaker. In 2024 Ferrari Trento was named “Sparkling Wine Producer of the Year” at The Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships for the seventh time.
Chardonnay at altitude
The grapes come from selected vineyards in Trentino, at 300 to 600 metres, mostly facing south and southwest. The cool climate and big swings between day and night let the Chardonnay ripen slowly. That keeps the acidity high while the fruit gains complexity.
The calcareous soil drains well and adds a mineral note. The vineyards are green-harvested, and the grapes are picked by hand. In its own vineyards, Ferrari farms organically.
What Trento DOC requires
Trento DOC is the appellation for metodo classico from Trentino. A non-vintage wine must spend at least 15 months on the lees, a millesimato 24 and a riserva 36. The Maximum is non-vintage, yet gets 36 months. That’s riserva-length ageing, and you taste it in the brioche and the creamy texture.
Tasting Note
Appearance
Pale lemon, with a fine, persistent mousse.
Nose
Clean and pronounced. Ripe golden apple, lemon zest and white peach, with freshly baked bread, toasted almonds and a floral undertone of acacia.
Palate
Dry, with vibrant medium-plus acidity and a medium-plus body. The nose comes back: citrus, ripe apple and stone fruit. Creaminess from the long lees ageing against a fresh mineral streak.
Finish
Long and elegant, with brioche and lemon curd.
Quality
Outstanding. Balance, complexity and length. The high acidity keeps it fresh and gives it ageing potential.
What to watch for
First, the awards are about the house. Seven titles as best sparkling wine producer are about Ferrari Trento as a whole. This one cuvée has to prove itself in the glass. It does here, though a trophy cabinet is no reason to buy blind.
Second, organic applies to the estate vineyards. The grapes for the Maximum come from selected vineyards across Trentino. That doesn’t automatically make this an organic wine.
Third, it’s non-vintage. You don’t know which year the base wine comes from, and the bottle you buy may differ from mine. My note describes one bottle, tasted in 2024.
At the table
Versatile. Seared scallops with a light lemon butter sauce, a creamy risotto ai funghi, or as an aperitif with aged Parmigiano-Reggiano.
- Producer
- Ferrari Trento, Lunelli family
- Wine
- Maximum Blanc de Blancs, Trento DOC
- Vintage
- Non-vintage
- Region
- Trentino, Italy
- Grape
- Chardonnay (100%)
- Vineyards
- 300-600 m, calcareous soil
- Method
- Metodo classico, 36 months on the lees
More information: goessens.com and ferraritrento.com
Sources
- My own tasting note, 2024
- Ferrari Trento (official): ferraritrento.com
- Trentodoc (consortium): trentodoc.com, for the Trento DOC rules
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