Recommended by the New York Times, Wine Spectator, Food & Wine, and Many More. Check out our recent press.

Award-winning SF wine shop – free local delivery & fast nationwide shipping. Learn more

Ettore Germano Alta Langa Riserva Blanc de Noir Pas Dose 2017

$8199
Use code 10OFF to get 10% off 12+ bottles
Five and a half years on the lees, zero dosage, and 100% Pinot Nero grown at 500 to 580 meters — this is a Barolo house making sparkling wine with the same seriousness it brings to Serralunga. Alta Langa only became a DOCG in 2002, and it sits just south of the Langhe hills that give us Barolo and Barbaresco, higher up (hence "alta"), on soils here that are a medium mix of sand and stones with south-east to south-west exposures. Germano hand-harvests into small baskets in early September and presses whole clusters, pulling the skins off the must immediately so the wine comes out white; part of the base ferments in 500-liter French tonneaux and part in steel, then rests on its lees with batonnage before tirage. This spends at least 65 months, and is disgorged with no liqueur whatsoever, which the family does deliberately to let the fruit and the soil speak without sugar smoothing the edges. If you know Ettore Germano for the intensity of their Serralunga Barolo, this is the same sensibility in a very different register: precise, mineral, and much more generous than "zero dosage" usually implies.

Shipping

Every step of the journey is managed to uphold the integrity of each bottle.

  • Nationwide Access: Flat-rate shipping available to most U.S. states with delivery in 3-5 business days.
  • Temperature-Monitored Shipping: We closely monitor weather conditions and make informed decisions to ensure shipments travel safely, with insulated packaging and refrigerated transport available when required.
  • Wine-Specific Protective Packaging: Specialized materials designed to maintain label integrity and prevent breakage during transit.
  • Provenance Assured: All wines are maintained in climate-controlled conditions at our shop until the moment of dispatch.

Returns & Exchanges

We stand behind every bottle we sell.

  • If the wine is less than 10 years old and it is corked, you may return it to us for a full refund or exchange within 60 days of purchase. You must show us proof of purchase. We understand that you may not live near a shop and that it is difficult to ship open bottles of wine to us, so if there's any problem feel free to Contact Us and we'll work it out.
  • For wines older than 10 years, the consumer bears the risk of a faulty cork, but we accept returns of older bottles if the wine is faulty as a result of improper storage. Please come by the store or Contact Us if there is a problem.
  • We may, at our discretion and to the extent permitted by law, accept returns of unopened wines within 30 days of purchase if they were properly stored by the purchaser, subject to a 15% re-stocking fee.

View our complete return policy →

Have Questions?

Our team is here to help.

Hours

Monday - Friday: 11am - 8pm

Saturday: 12pm - 5pm

CLOSED SUNDAYS

Email: help@flatiron-wines.com
Phone: (415) 780-1405


Add your content here

Antonio Galloni

93 points

"Spicy to the core, the 2017 Blanc de Noir Alta Langa Riserva Sessantacinquemesi Pas Dosé evolves in the glass with a dusting of ground ginger, cardamom, dried apricots and mint. It’s silken in feel yet full of zesty tension, as citrus-tinged pit fruits combine with salty mineral tones, all guided by crisp acidity. The 2017 lingers on with a saline sensation and a twang of sour melon, leaving an airy freshness with some residual nervousness. I’m tempted to lose a few bottles in the cellar because the balance here is fantastic." —Eric Guido

Robert Parker

94 points

"The Metodo Classico 2017 Alta Langa Riserva Blanc de Noir Pas Dosè is made entirely with Pinot Noir and was disgorged in March 2024. Ettore Germano has embraced quite an impressive learning curve with these sparkling wines, which taste better and better with each new release. This wine is almost totally void of any red pigment. Past releases have had more glowing amber or pink to admire. This vintage, however, is streamlined and focused on all sides with an etched bouquet of crisp apple, citrus and crushed limestone. It finishes on a dry note with steely effervescence. This is a 3,000-bottle production." —Monica Larner

Kerin O'Keefe

95 points

"Elegant, structured and bone-dry, the fabulous Ettore Germano 2017 Blanc de Noir Riserva is a compelling wine. Made entirely with Pinot Nero planted in the high vineyards of Alta Langa and made with no dosage, it delivers pristine flavors of ripe peach, apple, orange zest, white pepper and hints of brioche and hazelnut before a salty mineral finish. Bright acidity and an extremely refined, continuous perlage provide the setting. A gastronomic wine, this can accompany the entire meal." —Kerin O'Keefe

More about Ettore Germano

One of the great things about Serralunga -- aside from its exceptional terroir -- is that it is still dominated, Burgundy-like, by small, traditionally-minded producers who each focus on their own individual vineyard holdings. Ettore Germano is one of our favorite examples. Their wines have all the intensity of great Serralunga and the soulfulness of traditionally-made Langhe wines, but also a warmth and friendliness that invites early drinking.

Wine Details

  • Grape Variety

    Pinot Noir

  • Vintage

    2017

  • Size

    750ml

  • Farming Practice

    Organic

  • Style

    Crisp

  • Sweetness

    Dry

  • Body

    Medium Bodied

Flatiron's Take

From the Importer

Tasting Notes & Food Pairings

Perfect Pairings

Veal tonnato, raw scallops or oysters, fritto misto, a plate of prosciutto and grissini, roast chicken with herbs, or a young Robiola di Roccaverano.

Tasting Profile

Straw yellow with a fine, persistent bead. Red-fruit aromas and a touch of aromatic herbs, layered with the bready, nutty depth that comes from long lees aging. Bone dry with no dosage at all, broad on the palate but taut with freshness, a creamy mousse, and a long, clean finish.

More wines from Ettore Germano

View all