Oltrepò Pavese has officially unveiled Classese, the new Pinot Noir–based metodo classico that becomes the spokesperson of the territory and its unique DOCG. The debut took place at Vinitaly 2026, where a large 300‑square‑meter consortium stand hosted the first bottles.
The official presentation was held in the Regione Lombardia event space at Palaexpo, in the presence of Councillor Beduschi and an audience of journalists, trade professionals, and producers. Classese is born as a blend of “classico” and “pavese,” reviving a historic name rooted in the 19th century that now returns to narrate a new era of quality for Oltrepò.
A name that returns to the origins of Italian metodo classico
Classese is the traditional name for Oltrepò Pavese’s blanc de noirs and rosé de noirs. Its origins date back to the mid‑1800s, when Count Augusto Giorgi di Vistarino produced the first sparkling Pinot Noir in 1865. It was a pivotal moment: only in Oltrepò, in pre‑unification Italy, had this grape found ideal conditions to express itself through metodo classico.
In the 1980s, producers joined forces in an association chaired by Carlo Boatti to give this wine a clear and distinctive name, differentiating it from other local denominations.
Today, Classese returns as the symbol of Oltrepò Pavese’s uniqueness—a territory that, on the international stage, boasts an exclusive vocation for blanc de noir and rosé de noir.
The first bottles and the new production rules: higher quality, stricter standards
At Vinitaly, visitors can taste the first bottles of Classese, already produced according to the new disciplinary approved almost unanimously by the Consortium’s Assembly in February 2025. The regulations introduce stricter parameters designed to elevate the DOCG’s quality:
- manual harvest in crates
- minimum acidity of 6 g/l, the strictest requirement in Italy
- at least 85% Pinot Noir
- minimum 24 months on the lees
- 36 months for vintage wines
- 48 months for riserve
A set of rules that defines a metodo classico with a strong identity, capable of expressing the territory’s vocation with precision.
Classese, the symbol of a land that speaks Pinot Noir
Classese thus becomes the manifesto of Oltrepò Pavese: a territory that has built its history on Pinot Noir and now chooses to present itself through a shared, modern, and deeply rooted project. A wine that unites tradition and vision, bringing a historic name back to the forefront and transforming it into a new promise of quality.
