Brazilian sparkling wine. That comment is one punctuation mark away from a WAG's to-do list but Brazil does indeed produce traditional method sparkling wines.
Located in the Vale dos Vinhedos, a sub-region of the Serra Gaucha, an area in the south-east of Brazil not too far from the coast. Serra Gaucha isn't ridiculously hot with an average maximum temperature of 22.9 degrees and a minimum of 12.9 I don't know too much about Brazilian wines having forgotten almost everything I crammed into my mind during the WSET Diploma revision but Wines of Brazil have a cracking website to get you up to speed www.winesofbrasil.com
Miolo have 450 hectares in the Vale and their website (click here) touts a slightly terrifying corporate spiel involving Miolo being part of their 'project' plan and having only been set up in 2006; this juggernaut is definitely motoring along.
Now to the wine, the big question....Is the wine any good? Weeeeeell, kind of. A traditional method blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir it has been very well executed. Small, persistent bubbles, well balanced acidity, baked apple, stone fruit and toasty notes it is nicely put together and goes down nicely.
Overseen by Michel Rolland, flying winemaker extraordinaire, Miolo Millesime is competently made but lacks a certain something. Despite being perfectly pleasant the finish was a little short and left me wanting more. Tasted with two wine friends we all enjoyed the wine but the lack of passion left us thinking it was a little over-priced at just shy of £20 when for that price there are so many other really enjoyable new world sparklers like Green Point, Pelorus, Gloria Ferrer, Mumm Napa available at the same kind of price point.
The difference between a good wine and a great wine is often that little bit of magic. The strange witches brew of passion, good grapes and some (to quote the youth) mad winemaking skills. I think in time this wine will improve as someone who just has to make wine sparkle will find themselves at the helm and push this wine into some very interesting waters. One to keep a sneaky eye on...
