Matteo Furlani has quietly settled in as one of the most talented and radical producers of sparkling wine in Italy. Originally focused on the Champagne method from his vineyards of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir starting in 2008, he has since carved a name for himself as a wizard of fermentation in bottle (pet-nat) working with native varieties from Trento. While this style of wine has a long history in the cool mountain regions, rarely is the freshness and snap you expect amplified by real depth and intrigue. My first encounter with his Sur Lie Alpino became a raucous affair - fast. The wines had just landed in the US for the first time and a bottle was opened on arrival to test the new wares. As the cloudy greyish-green liquid made the rounds in the basement, ear-to-ear smiles preceded cheers and laughter. We were delirious and instantly convinced that Furlani had set a new high bar for pet-nat in Italy. The second bottle was opened approximately three minutes after the first, then a third, then a fourth. Low in alcohol but high in energy, these are some of the most fun wines we have to offer. Furlani has annually improved the range of his wines by playing to the strengths of the brisk local micro climate, about 750m above sea level in the Dolomites. All cuveés are fermented in stainless steel and usually age there too, although he has been known to use glass demijohns kept outside through the winter so the snapshot of this crisp, chilly zone preserves. No additives at any point are employed. - El Rancho
