Franciacorta DOCG
Franciacorta DOCG
Franciacorta is complex. On the one hand, Franciacorta is a relatively young Italian wine-growing region in northern Italy. Then, the term also stands for sparkling wines with bottle fermentation and thus leads us directly to the heart of the matter: Franciacorta is a great wine, epitome of probably the best sparkling wine in Italy.
It is nurtured and cared for between Milan and Brescia, on the shores and in the hinterland of Lago d'Iseo. Thanks to the lake, the Franciacorta area is well protected against extreme climatic conditions and excessive temperature fluctuations. In summer it protects the area from the heat of the Po Valley and in winter it reduces the icy cold from the north. Lake Iseo is considered a pearl, still largely spared from the largest tourist flows, tranquil and attractive, of restrained elegance. If you deal with Franciacorta, you cannot avoid one wine house: the Lombard house Ca' del Bosco and with him the wine personality Maurizio Zanella have strongly influenced this wine. In 1968, Zanella opted for an oenological career that leaves nothing to chance and uses ultra-modern technology and science to create the best conditions for the highest quality.
He transforms the family's small house in the dense chestnut forest into one of the most modern and advanced wineries in Italy. Zanella travels to the Champagne region, comes back and does just as well. Or - as some think - even almost better. Meanwhile, Franciacorta is certified DOCG and has long since stepped out of the shadow of Champagne and Prosecco. In not quite fifty years, Franciacorta has managed to build up a reputation for sparkling wines that in class, quality, and finesse does not have to fear the comparison with the French in any way. The French imprint in the production method can be seen, of course, and the requirements are even stricter.
"In addition to sensational sparkling wines, Franciacorta DOCG also offers excellent still wines that can be cellared."
Vergani family
The grapes are harvested by hand without exception, the first fermentation to clear wine takes place in steel tanks. Then the wines are blended, bottled and stored for the second fermentation. They then slumber in the cellars for at least 18 months, regularly turned gently. Only then are they allowed to bear the family name. A Franciacorta Riserva even requires a maturation period of 60 months. Or longer. This wine is a wonderfully sparkling success story that we would like to toast with you to many more to come.
Image: Ca' del Bosco