That is the second a part of a brief sequence concerning the wine journey I made with a bunch of the Dutch affiliation of Vinologists (Verenigde Vinologen Nederland). The primary half was about our tour of Oltrepò Pavese. After that we continued our journey in Franciacorta, which is without doubt one of the three wine producing zones with a DOCG denomination in Lombardia (the others are Oltrepò Pavese and Valtellina). It’s positioned between the Iseo lake and town of Brescia.
Our first cease in Franciacorta was on the Consorzio per la tutela del Franciacorta in Erbusco, the place a consultant of the Consorzio gave us an introduction to Franciacorta. The identify “Franciacorta” can discuss with the wine, to the manufacturing space, in addition to the manufacturing methodology. Which is once more the metodo classico, similar to in Champagne and Oltrepò Pavese, with a second fermentation within the bottle. The minimal ageing interval on the lees for Franciacorta DOCG is eighteen months, which is longer than Champagne (15 months). Franciacorta doesn’t have an extended custom for Italian requirements, as the primary Franciacorta was produced in 1961. It has held a DOC denomination since 1967, and was upgraded to DOCG in 1995. Franciacorta is a small manufacturing space, with solely 3000 hectares of vineyards. The phrase means “free courts”, and refers back to the historic freedom of duties within the eleventh century.
The deep morenic soil, shaped within the ice age, could be very properly suited to viticulture. A lot of the hills are about 300 meters above sea degree, however a lot of the vineyards are within the flat areas. About 80% of the vineyards is planted with Chardonnay, adopted by 15% Pinot Nero and 5% Pinot Bianco. The quantity of Pinot Bianco is lowering. Since Pinot Nero and Bianco have tighter bunches than Chardonnay, they’re extra vulnerable to rot. Franciacorta has a mean manufacturing of solely 7,600 bottles per hectare, which is lower than Champagne (10,000 bottles per hectare) and quite a bit lower than Prosecco (17,000 bottles per hectare).
The three several types of Franciacorta DOCG are:
- Franciacorta, with out classic, Chardonnay, Pinot Nero, most 50% Pinot Bianco and most 10% Erbamat, aged minimal 18 months on the lees;
- Franciacorta Rosé, Chardonnay most 65%, Pinot Nero minumum 35%, Pinot Bianco most 50%, Erbamat most 10%, aged minimal 24 months;
- Franciacorta Satèn, minimal 50% Chardonnay, most 50% Pinot Bianco, aged minimal 24 months, and with much less bubbles than common Franciacorta.
Franciacorta from a single classic (millesimato) should be aged for a minimum of 30 months, and riserva for a minimum of 60 months. Nonetheless wines from the identical manufacturing space fall underneath Curtefranca DOC. Satèn has solely 4.5 bar of carbon dioxide strain, quite than the standard 5.5 bar, and thus the bubbles are softer. That is achieved by including solely 18 grams of sugar per litre for the second fermentation, quite than the standard 24 grams per litre.
Local weather change is worrisome for Franciacorta, as sufficient acidity is required to have the ability to make prime quality glowing wines. For that reason, the native grape selection Erbamat is now allowed for use as much as 10% in Franciacorta DOCG (not in Satèn). It has been chosen as a result of it’s an autochthonous late ripening selection with excessive acidity. Because of the highly regarded and dry summer time, the harvest started already on the 4th of August in 2022, which could be very early.
The metodo classico contains the likelihood so as to add sugar on the time of the disgorgement (eradicating the yeast used for the second fermentation within the bottle, and inserting the ultimate cork). That is often cane sugar in Franciacorta, however some wine makers use the solo uva methodology, and use grape sugar as a substitute. Most Franciacorta is Brut with a most of 12 grams of sugar per litre, however there’s additionally Additional Brut (lower than 6 grams per litre) or Dosaggio Zero (no sugar added).
We tasted 8 completely different Franciacorta:
- Contad Castaldi Satèn 2018, 100% Chardonnay, fermented in metal and oak, 30 months on the lees, dosage 6 g/l. Aromatic, elegant, creamy, and mineral.
- Quadra Satèn 2017, 90% Chardonnay, 10% Pinot Bianco, fermented in metal, 43 months on the lees, dosage 5 g/l. Much less aromatic than the primary Satèn, however with extra construction.
- Monterossa Brut Cabuchon, 70% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir, fermented in oak, 36 months on the lees, dosage 5 g/l. Due to the fermentation of the bottom wine in oak, this wine was in a extra oxidative model.
- Fratelli Berlucchi Brut Freccia Nera 2017, 60% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Bianco, 10% Pinot Nero, fermented in metal, 60 months on the lees, 7.5 g/l. Mineral, crispy nostril however creamy style, advanced with an extended end.
- La Montina Additional Brut, 75% Chardonnay, 25% Pinot Noir, fermented in metal, 24 months on the lees, 3.5 g/l. Delicate, elegant and balanced.
- IBarisèi Dosaggio Zero Natura 2015, 80% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Noir, fermented in metal, 45 months on the lees, 0 g/l. Mineral, elegant, balanced, dry end.
- Vezzoli Rosé, 100% Pinot Nero, fermented in metal and oak, 48 months on the lees, 7 g/l. Crisp and mineral.
- Santus Rosé Dosaggio Zero 2016, 100% Pinot Nero, fermented in metal, 40 months on the lees, 0 g/l. Aged and dry.
The primary vineyard we visited in Franciacorta was Ca’ del Bosco. The vineyard is positioned in a formidable park with an extended driveway. It has 268 hectares of vineyards, principally Chardonnay, but additionally Pinot Nero and Pinot Bianco. They produce 1.8 million bottles per 12 months, of which 1 million of their ‘work horse’, the Cuvée Status.
As a substitute of utilizing Erbamat, they’re increasing their vineyards to greater altitudes. Ca’ del Bosco has a really particular model of constructing Franciacorta and does every part to make the wine as ‘pure’ as doable.
This begins by washing the grapes after the harvest with water and a little bit of citric acid. Because of this no clarification is required and that much less sulfites are required to protect the wine. It additionally removes the wild yeast, which may result in undesirable aromas. They use impartial oak, once more to keep away from sturdy aromas from the wooden.
Ca’ del Bosco has ample services with a view to course of the grapes as shortly as doable after the harvest. The primary 25% of juice that’s extracted from the grapes is vinified in wooden and used for Satèn. The subsequent 25% fraction is vinified in metal and used for the Cuvée Status. To maintain the aromas within the wine as a lot as doable, no mechanical pump is used to mix the wines. As a substitute they use a wine elevator, in order that gravity can transfer the wine from one cask to the following.
They use the solo uva methodology for the liqueur d’expédition, i.e. grape sugar as a substitute of cane sugar, to keep away from the caramel aroma of cane sugar. The corks are examined, each optically and with water, earlier than they’re used. Thus, Ca’ del Bosco has issues with solely 0.4% of the corks, in comparison with the typical of 1.5% in Italy.
Ca’ del Bosco has its personal barrel maker in France, the place oak from Allier is used and seasoned for 3 years. They produce each barriques (225 litres) and pièces (228 litres). The brand new barrels are solely used for the nonetheless wine (Curtefranca DOC), by no means for Franciacorta. Barrels are used for 4-5 occasions earlier than they’re changed.
Riddling is simply performed by hand for big codecs (magnums and so on.); for the common bottles gyropalettes are used. A ultimate contact to protect the aromas (scale back oxidation) and scale back the quantity of sulfites is so as to add nitrogen on the disgorgement, a patent of Ca’ del Bosco.
We tasted three wines:
- Cuvée Status Version 34 Franciacorta DOCG (2019), disgorged in 2021, Chardonnay 84%, Pinot Nero 14%, Pinot Bianco 2%, aged 24 months on the lees, first fermentation in metal, additional brut 1.5 g/l. Elegant and mineral.
- AnnaMaria Clementi 2010 Franciacorta DOCG, disgorged in 2019, Chardonnay 55%, Pinot Bianco 25%, Pinot Nero 20%, first fermentation in French oak with malolactic, aged 9 years on the lees, no dosage. Scrumptious. Golden colour, fantastically aged, balanced, elegant, creamy.
- Chardonnay 2017 Curtefranca DOC, aged in barriques for 9 months with weekly stirring of the lees, very oaky however properly built-in, tropical fruit, butter, fragrant, structured, recent. Nonetheless younger.
The second and ultimate vineyard we visited in Franciacorta was Bellavista. This vineyard has has 210 hectares of vineyards, unfold out over 120 completely different plots in Franciacorta. The manufacturing is 1.5 million bottles per 12 months. Bellavista doesn’t use Erbamat, as a result of it’s too acidic and the bunches are usually not uniform sufficient.
In contrast to Ca’ del Bosco, Bellavista could be very conventional. As an example, they use these corks quite than crowncaps in the course of the second fermentation within the bottle. In keeping with the winemaker it doesn’t make any distinction within the taste, they only do it for the custom. The model is to make the wine as pure as doable, with as little interference as doable. Bellavista permits some contact with oxygen in the course of the wine making course of. It will take away among the recent and fruity aromas, however the aromas which can be left will probably be extra secure. Different variations with Ca’ del Bosco are that Bellavista makes use of much less vines per hectare, with extra leaves on the vines, and that Bellavista produces Franciacorta Riserva solely in the very best vintages quite than yearly.
They even do all the riddling by hand, for which they’ve 10 full-time workers!
There may be 1 kilometer (3,300 toes) of underground tunnels to age 6 million bottles.
Bellevista additionally has non-vintage ‘entry degree’ Franciacorta offered underneath the label Alma, aged for 28 months on the lees. Throughout our go to we tasted solely the classic (millesimato) Franciacorta. The extra unique the wine at Bellavista, the extra Pinot Nero is used and the extra wooden quite than metal.
We tasted 5 Franciacorta DOCG at Bellavista:
- Satèn 2017, 100% Chardonnay, first fermentation for 40% in used wooden, 60% in metal, aged 48 months on the lees, 5-6 g/l. Aromatic and stuffed with taste.
- Teatro Alla Scala Brut 2017, 70% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Nero, first fermention in wooden and metal, aged 48 months on the lees, 5 g/l. Stuffed with almond taste.
- Pas Operé 2016, 60% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir, aged 60 months on the lees, 2 g/l. Will be bottle aged for 10-15 years. Brisker and a high quality mousse, almond taste.
- Riserva Vittorio Moretti 2013, 50% Chardonnay, 50% Pinot Noir, aged 72 months on the lees, 2.5 g/l, made out of outdated vines in the very best vineyards, solely in the very best vintages, solely 40,000 bottles produced, disgorgement in 2021. Almond taste.
- Riserva Vittorio Moretti 2008, similar as above however 5 years older, disgorged in 2016 and so aged for six years within the bottle after 6 years on the lees. Very advanced and stylish, creamy, with fantastically aged aromas.
It was actually attention-grabbing to go to the 2 benchmark producers of Franciacorta that collectively have made Franciacorta well-known, and to note the large distinction in model. Contemporary and fashionable at Ca’ del Bosco, conventional at Bellavista.
Developing subsequent: Valtellina.
