Franciacorta: Italian champagne

Italians love Franciacorta! This sparkling wine might not be as well-known, but it is at least as delicious as champagne from France! Especially the Ca’ del Bosco Franciacorta Cuvée Prestige DOCG. This is a fantastic sparkling wine. It is one of the Italy's best and most popular sparkling wine. This Brut Cuvée Prestige is made from the best vintages. In the same way as Champagne, from Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Noir grapes, but with a longer aging period, resulting in more flavor and structure.

High ratings for Ca’ del Bosco Franciacorta Cuvée Prestige DOCG

The Ca’ del Bosco Franciacorta Cuvée Prestige DOCG receives high ratings from wine critics. Robert Parker (92/100) “The Franciacorta Cuvée Prestige Brut is packaged in a squat and transparent bottle. This beautiful sparkling wine shows a unique aromatic profile with spicy notes of spearmint and fresh oregano leaf that pop to the top. Beyond those vertical aromas are heavier tones of stone fruit, honeydew melon and blanched almond. This Franciacorta (75% Chardonnay, 10% Pinot Bianco and 15% Pinot Nero) offers spicy and vibrant aromatic tones that you don't find in its peers.”

About Ca’ del Bosco

Ca’ del Bosco is a highly reputed Franciacorta producer. The history of this winery dates back to the mid-1960s, when Annamaria Clementi Zanella bought a small house named Ca’ del Bosco (meaning house in the forest) on a mountain in Erbusco, Franciacorta (in Lombardy, west of Lake Garda). In 1967, Annamaria decided to plant a vineyard, which marked the beginning of a series of fine wines. The first white wine was launched in 1973, the first red wine in 1977, and after a tour of the Champagne caves, Maurizio Zanella, who now runs the winery, chose to also produce the Italian premium sparkling wine. And not without result… Ca’ del Bosco’s sparkling wines are now among the best in Italy.

The winery's estate covers approximately 160 hectares, and the vineyards are between 17 and 25 years old. The grape harvest is done entirely by hand and takes place during the last 10 days of August and the first 10 days of September.

Ca’ del Bosco’s sparkling wines are produced according to the ‘metodo tradizionale’, in the same way as in Champagne, but using the most modern techniques. Alcoholic fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks under strict temperature control, where the wines rest for about seven months. This is necessary to clarify the wine, allow it to age, and impart the character of the terroir. Subsequently, a carefully crafted blend of young and reserve wines from the best vintages is created, after which the wine continues to mature on its lees (yeast sediment, which imparts characteristic notes (e.g., nuts)) for another 25 months. Afterwards, the wines are separated from their yeast sediment and a dosage of 4 grams of sugar is added. This places the sparkling wine in the Brut category. Bottle aging then takes 25 to 37 months before the wines are released onto the market. The orange-yellow cellophane around the bottle is intended to protect against damage from UV rays.