Franciacorta

Summary:

 Italy’s largest traditional method sparkling wine region (Chardonnay & Pinot Noir)
 Lombardy in central northern Italy
 Pitched as direct competitor to Champange (very good to outstanding quality)

Wine:

 Style: Ripe apple, Peach fruit, Prominent brioche (biscuit/autolytic note), Medium alcohol,
Medium (+) acidity,
 Quality: Good to Outstanding
 Premium priced

Growing Environment

 Location:
o Surrounded by low hills with Lake Iseo at Northern boundary
 Climate:
o Warm continental with moderating influences
o Cool air descends in summer from the Alps (north of region)
o Lake Iseo = moderating effect on daily and seasonal temperature (*spring frost can still
be an issue e.g. 2017)
o Climate => fruit that ripens regularly, retaining acidity
o Adequate rainfall (half in Autumn & Winter; but Spring rainfall => flowering & fruit set
problems due to Downey Mildew + Botrytis)
o Many producers have irrigation installed, used when needed
o Picking = Early (i.e. 2nd half of August into September) to avoid Autumn rain; but as a
result shorter ripening period than Trento
o Vintage variation limited (exception = 2014 rainy and cool)
 Topography:
o Most vineyards on gentle slopes
o Soils:
 mixed, due to glaciers;
 6 main soil types identified => range of expression of base wine for blending to
add complexity
 Different soils = floral notes, dried fruit notes, spicy and vegetal notes
 Grape Varieties:
o Chardonnay (75% - dominant variety)
o Pinot Noir (widely grown)
o Pinot Blanc (little grown)

Vineyard Management

 Training Systems:
o Heavy cropping training systems (e.g. Pergola, Geneva Double Curtain) NOT permitted
o Since 1990s:
 Cordon trained with spur pruning
 Head training with replacement cane pruning (Guyot)
o 75% are organic => aspire to reach 100% organic
o Very few growers and no Co-operatives
Franciacorta
o Estate grown (virtually all grapes) => motivation to grow high quality grapes => high
quality wine

Wine Making:

- Fruit for White wine must be whole bunch pressed (required by regulations) => ensure high
quality juice with low phenolic content
- Red fruits (Pinot Noir for Rose wine; and for Red wine to make Rose => can be destemmed)
- Max permitted yield 65hL/ha
- Most producers ferment in stainless steel to preserve primary fruit flavours
- For complexity (i.e. Millsimato & Riserva) => proportion of wine will be fermented and/or
aged in old oak
- MLF – optional decision
- Small producers – rarely use reserve wine; whereas Large producers use reserve wine for
extra complexity and depth of flavour
- Most wines = Vintage wines (but most won’t be labelled as vintage, due to long time on lees
by wine sold as Millesimato)
- Must be made in Traditional method with min ageing on lees (18 months for basic NV)
- Min lees ageing is normally much longer => noticeable autolytic notes (brioche, biscuit)

Types of Franciacorta:

 Non-vintage:
o Typically Chardonnay + Pinot Noir (and can have up to 50% Pinot Blanco)
o Min 18 months on lees
o In reality, made from fruit in single vintage
 Saten
o White grapes (normally 100% Chardonnay)
o Min 24 months on lees
o Slightly less sugar on tirage; therefore under 5 Atmospheres
o Only in Brut Style
 Rose
o Min 35% Pinot Noir (mostly blends of Chardonnay & Pinot Noir)
o Producers free to extract colour from Pinot Noir / direct pressing / short maceration on
skins
o Blending with red permitted
o Min 24 months on lees
 Millesimato
o Vintage declared
o Made with min 85% fruit from that year
o Min 30 months on lees
 Riserva
o Min 60 months no lees
o Standard EU dryness/sweetness applies (e.g. Dossagio Zero = Brut Nature)
o Generally = lower than expected level (e.g. Brut 6g/L)

Wine Law and Wine Business:

- Franciacorta = earliest region to receive its DOC, then promoted to DOCG

- Since 2003 – put Franciacorta on the label
Franciacorta
- Franciacorta Consorzio = a body that represents virtually all producers; which carries out
zoning studies to help growers understand types of soils to help raise quality
- 3 large companies: (1/3 of total production)
o Giudo Berlucchi (pioneer)
o Ca’del Bosco
o Bellavisat
- Medium and Small sized producers = 2/3 production
- Total production = 2x in 10 years (2007 – 2016) = 17.5 million bottles sold in 2018
- 90% distributed in Italy (mostly hospitality), 10% export
- Principal markets = Switzerland, Japan, Germany, USA (60% of exports)