Bolle Reserve Duo (2 × 750 mL)

Bolle takes its name from a phrase in its founder's childhood. Roberto Vanin grew up in Treviso, where prendi una bottiglia di bolle — bring a bottle of bubbles — was the sentence that turned an evening into an occasion. The brand is built around that rather than around abstinence.

What separates it is a second fermentation. Taking the alcohol out of a wine takes the aromatic compounds and the body with it, which is why so much of the category tastes thin. Bolle ferments the wine again afterwards, with their own yeast strain and fresh grape juice, to rebuild what was lost — rather than adding flavoring or sugar to cover the gap. They hold a patent pending on the method.

The fruit comes from La Mancha, the high plateau south of Madrid, and the range runs from a Blanc de Blancs through a sparkling Rosé to a still Chardonnay. The Grand Reserve is the same Blanc de Blancs given nine months on the lees, which is where its brioche character comes from.