Contratto – Cellar founded in Canelli in 1867

Passing through the large wrought-iron gate, you enter what has been called an ideal location for “the civilization of wine”. Following the tradition of Canelli’s ancient streets, the courtyard has been restored with spendid cobblestone paving and perfumed flowerbeds. The gardens precede the intimate cellars, where the wine is born, evolves and becomes great.

The Contratto cellars were excavated to a depth of 32 meters, into the heart of the hill overlooking Canelli. In the majestic grandeur of these underground “cathedrals”, the legendary “metodo classico” and Casa Contratto have been united for 130 years. The temperature is ideal, the darkness and silence broken only by the steps of the cellarmaster on the fine gravel floor that keeps humidity under control. Metodo Classico: the only method.

After filling, the bottles are laid down in stacks. During its years in the cellar, the wine ferments, acquiring its “perlage” and aromatic complexity. This phase is called “presa di spuma”. In the final phase, each bottle is transferred to a “pupitre”, symbol of the skill and art that goes into winemaking with the Metodo Classico. Every day, the bottles are rotated by hand a quarter turn and slanted slightly upward. With frequent tastings, the cellarmaster waits until his “wards” have reached their peak. This painstaking process causes the wine’s natural sediment to deposit in the neck of the bottle. The long, entirely manual procedure continues with “degorgement”. With great skill, the cellarmaster removes the cork from the bottle, and the pressure that has built up expels the sediment.

The final phase expels the sediment. The final phase consists of adding the “liqueur d’expedition”: a dose that personalizes the characteristics and style of Casa Contratto Metodo Classico wines.

Including

• 1 Wine tasting with snacks