Description
Barone Pizzini is, by Franciacorta’s standards, a relatively “old” producer having been founded in 1997. Back in those days there were only around 50 producers in the region (even now it’s quite small at about 120). Their claim to fame is being the first to convert to organic farming, which they did in 2001.
Franciacorta, purposefully made in Champagne’s image, is right at the foot of the Alps in Lombardy. It is a little area of just 3000ha (10x smaller than Champagne in area, and 100x smaller in production volume), and is Italy’s most promising sparkling wine region.
The region is planted to some of the same varietals as Champagne – Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Blanc which plays a much more major role here; but also now permits a very interesting native variety called Erbamat which does appear in this cuvĂ©e. It can’t make up any more than 10% of the blend, but being a high acid/late ripening grape it ensures that even in warmer years Franciacorta can always have its signature freshness.
This one spends 18 months bottle-aging on lees before disgorgement, which is the minimum required by the DOCG (which is a nice step up over Champagne’s 12 months for non-vintage). It is, as you’d expect, incredibly vibrant, poised, and tastes pretty similar to its inspiration at a much better price.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.