Contratto, Alta Langa DOCG (Piedmont, Italy) “Millesimato Pas Dosé” 2015 ($27, Ingenious Selections)

Contratto has been making wines for over 150 years but has spent more than a century dialing in their vintage sparkling wines. Their Alta Langa 2015 Millesimato has no dosage – no added sugar – and is done in the traditional method with a second fermentation in bottle, as in Champagne. The blend is 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay, and the wine drinks wonderfully with dried apricot, bruised pear, spiced apple, and toast notes. Its reasonable under-$35 price tag makes this approachable for a wide range of occasions, from a bottle to welcome your friends over with to a bottle to serve after dinner.
92 Vince Simmon