As more Americans have discovered its extraordinary lusciousness, vivid fruit, soft mousse and captivating perfume, it is no surprise that the following for Moscato d’Asti has grown dramatically in recent years. As a summer sipper, Moscato is without peer. Ambrosial with melon and prosciutto (a classic combination), it is also a superb light dessert wine, perfect with melon, pears or strawberries (especially if the fruit has been steeped in Moscato beforehand!).
Not as Easy as It Looks
Yet, because of its delicacy and its dependence on perfect balance, great Moscato is hard to make, and only a few producers have mastered the craft. One of these is Stefano Perrone who has quickly emerged as one of the region’s stars.
In 1995, we set out to discover the Great New Moscato Producer. We organized a tasting in Italy of the Moscatos of over a dozen producers, all of whom had top reputations locally. We tasted them blind and came up with a short list of growers whose wines we thought were outstanding.
We then visited them and tasted not only the ’95s again, but also their ’94s (to see how the previous year’s wines were holding up). Ultimately, we chose the Moscato of Stefano Perrone, who had taken over the duties of the family domaine named for his father. A retired champion motocross racer, Stefano’s formidable reputation rests squarely on his two Moscatos: Sourgal, released in late November, and his best wine, Clarté, which is released in April. A mere 650 cases of Clarté are made.
Wine Notes: An innovative blend of Brachetto and Moscato. Similar to Moscato, it substitutes red fruits for Moscato’s typical tropicals fruits.
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