Franciacorta is a metodo classico Italian sparkling wine, that is a wine made using the classic Champagne-making method. It's produced in Lombardy, in the province of Brescia, an hour’s drive from Milan – it makes for the perfect day trip or even overnight stay if you're visiting the city.
The Franciacorta region includes 19 municipalities and is bordered on its northern edge by Lake Iseo, one of the spectacular northern Italian lakes. There are just shy of 3,000 hectares of vineyards and the 116 wineries associated with the Consortium, whose annual production is approximately 17.5 million bottles. Sixty-two percent of the vineyards are cultivated without the use of pesticides, which renders Franciacorta one of the most prominent areas for organic viticulture in the world.
A bit of history
Viticulture in the region dates all the way back to Roman times, and evidence of sparkling wine production, in particular, can be traced back to as early as the 16th century, thanks to the Libellus de vino mordaci, a work penned by Brescian doctor Girolamo Conforti in 1570.
However, the history of Franciacorta as we know it today is much more recent, starting only in the 1960s. Enologist Franco Ziliani made the first Pinot di Franciacorta for the Guido Berlucchi winery, a metodo classico sparkling wine that had resounding market success and prompted other local producers to follow suit and venture into the sparkling process. The soil type, climate, and winning entrepreneurial vision yielded the desired results, and in 1967, Franciacorta earned its DOC status. In 1995, the region went on to earn DOCG protection, the highest classification for Italian wine quality – this made Franciacorta the first Italian region to receive the DOCG for sparkling wine production.
Franciacorta Wines to Try
The grape that's most used for Franciacorta production is Chardonnay along with Pinot Noir and Pinot Bianco. Also used is Erbamat, a local grape variety that adds acidity and a freshness to wines.
The minimum aging on the lees ranges from 18 months for the simplest vintages to several years for the more valuable Riservas. This is a longer aging requirement than that of Champagne which has a minimum requirement of 15 months in the bottle, 12 of which are on the lees.
The varieties provided for in the production regulations include non-vintage Franciacorta, which is the result of a blending between multiple harvests, and Franciacorta Millesimato, from which all the wine used comes from a single year. The wines are classified according to their sugar content, from non-dosed, (pas dosé or nature), the driest version which does not contain any residual sugar, to Extra Brut to Brut, the most common variety, and finally to the sweet Demi-sec and Sec.
Most sparkling wines adhere to the aforementioned classifications though the dosages might vary a bit. However, Franciacorta features one variety exclusive to the region. Franciacorta Satèn is characterized by a more delicate, creamy effervescence and produced with white grapes only.
According to the variety, Franciacorta can be an aperitivo wine or served with all courses. It is highly recommended for fish-based dishes, but the more structured vintages, such as the Reserve Rosé, are equally excellent with red meats.
Labels not to miss:
Franciacorta Extra Brut Pas Operé 2013 Bellavista
Franciacorta Dosaggio Zero Bagnadore Riserva 2011 – Barone Pizzini
Franciacorta Pas Dosé Rosé Girolamo Bosio 2011 – Bosio
Franciacorta Annamaria Clementi Riserva 2009 – Ca’ del Bosco
Franciacorta Extra Brut 2011 – Camossi
Franciacorta Brut Collezione Esclusiva Giovanni Cavalleri 2008 – Cavalleri
Franciacorta Brut – Corte Fusia
Franciacorta Extra Brut Palazzo Lana Extreme Riserva 2008 – Guido Berlucchi
Franciacorta Satèn 2015 – Le Marchesine
Franciacorta Extra Brut EBB 2014 – Mosnel