Magnums vs Standard Sized Bottles with Ferrari Trento

For me, I’ve only been around for a few months in the world of sparkling wine, the biggest appeal to a Magnum was, of course, its size, the attraction was that it was different, it was bigger and I saw it as holding more excitement, more mystery and possibly a better overall tasting experience thanks to these factors.

I wanted to explore the world of magnums so we put a call out to our award winning wineries and we were delighted that Ferrari Trento kindly sent us a selection to taste.

Having researched in greater depth the reports and stories of magnums I can clearly see that for many wine experts it holds a strong preference when it comes to aromas and flavours from especially traditional method and vintage labels.

There are 14 sparkling wine bottle sizes from the smallest at 187ml (Piccolo) to the largest being 30l (Melchizedek). Check out our free infographic here on Champagne bottle sizes.

It was interesting to learn that a magnum and a standard bottle both have the same neck size and both contain the same air content, this means that a magnum matures slower and for longer, which results in a more elegant and complex tasting experience.

 

A standard bottle will generally give you around 7 servings and a magnum is simply double that to 14 servings, this of course depends very much on the size of glass and how generous you are when pouring!

What I wanted to find out is if a great tasting wine in a standard bottle really tastes any better or different in a magnum. It is the same wine is it not? The same grapes? Same winemaker?

 

Standard Bottles vs Magnums

Maximum Brut Blanc de Blancs N.V. – Standard Bottle Size – Tasting notes: “Brioche, Yellow floral, whole green apple, apricot on the nose. A touch dry initially then soft citrus and peach with a touch of sea breeze.”

Maximum Brut Blanc de Blancs N.V. – Magnum Bottle Size – Tasting notes: “Great green and golden fruit aromas. Fruity on the nose with a touch of dry honey, toast, brioche, yellow floral. Flavours are so very engaging. A delicate balance of soft dry citrus, green fruits, hints of burnt toast, blossom and minerals. Out of the three magnum tastings (Perlé 2014, Trento Brut and this one) it was my preferred both in tasting qualities and comparing it to the standard size. Cheers Ferrari Trento!”

Trento Brut N.V. – Standard Bottle Size – Tasting notes: “Green apples, soft citrus, touch of floral in flavours, a great livening sparkling wine from the famous Trentodoc winery, Ferrari.”

Trento Brut N.V. – Magnum Bottle Size – Tasting notes: “Once again, the magnum is so much more explosive on aromas. Citrus, pastry, yeast, yellow fruits and a touch of white rose petals. Flavours are alive and very much invigorating. It’s like taking a dive into a cool swimming pool on a hot summers day. Fruity and pastry, floral and zesty.”

Perlé U.V. Vintage 2014 – Standard Bottle Size – Tasting notes: “There is always a fine quality with Ferrari, it’s a pulse that runs through all their labels. The 2014 Perlé is a lively and fresh vintage, very young at heart. Burnt toast, green fruits, citrus on the nose. A refreshing burst of flavours hit you. Rounded citrus, hints of toast / oak, green apple skin, nuttiness and more to excite wine lovers of the fizzy kind.”

Perlé U.V. Vintage 2014 – Magnum Bottle Size – Tasting notes: “Much more punchy aromas, nose blowing initially! Certainly more of its smokey / toasty characters in the magnum aromas. Bubbles appear much more active also. Flavours are intense, they are much more bold in character with citrus, smokey toast, bruised green apples, orchard fruits, spices too. Magnum looks the part and it acts it also!“