Wines from Lombardy

50 years of Grande Annata! The Grande Annata by Mattia Vezzola seduces you with a beautiful blend of ripe apples, pears, candied ginger and subtle nuances of blood oranges. This outstanding Metodo Classico from Lake Garda is both round and perfectly structured as well as vibrant with its bright acidity and salty minerals clearly taking centre stage. A hint of raw almonds and sour apples lingers on the final, along with a subtle hint of lime that literally tickles the cheeks. Every year, Grande Annata brut is a top sparkling wine of great complexity and with a wonderful arc of tension! SUPERIORE.DE

Rosé 2020 combines Chardonnay with a proportion of Pinot Nero from carefully selected parcels. Maturation on the lees for at least 30 months gives the Brut its smooth creaminess and delicate perlage. In the glass, it is an elegant old rose colour with a delicate shimmer and a persistent, fine mousse. The aroma reveals nuances of raspberry, pomegranate, pink grapefruit and delicate rose petals, complemented by brioche and an underlying spiciness. Present, juicy and refreshing on the palate, with lively acidity and astonishing depth of fruit. The finish is dry, clear and of restrained, mineral length – a rosé with presence, tension and elegance full of character. SUPERIORE.DE

"This is a project with which I am still celebrating the beginning of my adventure as a winemaker, which is why this Riserva bears my name. Valgella is the region where my exciting journey began, and this wine not only bears my signature, but also pays tribute to the steep slopes from which we have wrested its fruit with its elegant shyness."

50 years of Grande Annata! The eye is greeted by a very fine perlage of unusual persistence with well-distributed strings of pearls that form a dense head. The nose has a beguilingly delicate aroma of white smoke, peach peel and a hint of savoury spice. Elegant and structured on the palate - it initially soothes the senses with its silky perlage, only to immediately tantalise them with a mixture of lively acidity and minerals. The finish is clean and elegant; lively notes of melon, green apple, ginger and crushed oyster shells ensure that this Metodo Classico Rosé brut will be remembered for a long time to come ... SUPERIORE.DE

Satèn – the name alone promises what this Franciacorta delivers: silky-soft texture, reduced perlage intensity, pure elegance. Bellavista vinifies this exclusive category exclusively in outstanding years from pure Chardonnay from the higher vineyards that catch the first morning light. The 2020 vintage shows what Vittorio Moretti's vision of perfection means: hand-picked grapes, vinified in small oak barrels, then matured on the lees for at least four years in the bottle – time that you can taste.

Pas Operé – "not dosed" in the original sense, when it was still dosed by hand. The name is a play on words, as this Extra Brut is very well dosed, but with such restraint that the terroir shines through unadulterated. For decades, Pas Operé has been Bellavista's flagship, the wine that most clearly bears the signature of the house: classic, masculine, timeless. The 2018 Pas Operé is the result of a rigorous selection of around 25 plots on slopes and hillsides with south or south-east exposure, the vines are over twenty years old. 64 per cent Chardonnay for finesse and structure, 36 per cent Pinot Nero for depth and complexity. Half of the base wines are matured in French white oak barriques, which gives the wine its characteristic intensity. The assemblage is followed by five years on the lees – sixty months, during which flavours intensify, textures refine and perlage refines. Only then, at least six years after the harvest, does the Pas Operé leave the Erbusco winery.

1976 – this was Maurizio Zanella's first rosé bottling from Ca' del Bosco. He simply called it "Rosé Ca' del Bosco". What was an experiment back then is now number 47 in a continuous process: since 2018, each edition has had its own number because Zanella and his team are convinced that each composition has its own sensory signature – and that this signature should be memorialised. Edizione 47 is based on the 2022 harvest year – a hot, dry summer in Franciacorta, which forced an early harvest on 6 August. 14 days, 7,800 kilograms per hectare, a harvest under pronounced water stress. The result is wines with good structure and pleasantly fresh acidity, with fruity notes over a clear citrus base. 80% Pinot Noir from twelve vineyards in Erbusco, Adro, Iseo and Passirano – on average 34-year-old vines – and 20% Chardonnay from seven parcels, half reserve wines 2021, half base wines 2022.

In 1964, Annamaria Clementi Zanella purchased two hectares near Erbusco, which would later become Ca' del Bosco. In 1976, the estate's first rosé was released, a wine blended from several vintages. Since the 2018 harvest, it has been part of the Edizioni range, and with each new edition the dosage is reduced slightly so that the grape variety and vintage come through more clearly. Edizione 48 is made exclusively from the 2023 harvest, sourced from 19 vineyards: 64% Pinot Nero from Erbusco, Adro, Iseo and Passirano, 36% Chardonnay from Erbusco, Cazzago San Martino and Passirano, with the vines averaging around thirty years old. The grapes are washed and dried; the Pinot Nero remains on the skins for 24 to 36 hours until the delicate pink colour develops, ferments in stainless steel and small wooden vats, and only then is blended with the Chardonnay. On average, the cuvée rests on the lees for around 24 months; the lees are removed without exposure to oxygen, and the dosage is kept to a minimum.

Quintessence is the flagship of Antica Fratta: a Riserva that is only available in the best years. Monumental depth meets expressive precision. The blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Nero matures for an incredible 60 months on the fine lees before being bottled as an Extra Brut – characterising style, artistic and terroir-connecting. Dense gold in the glass with a fine chalky perlage. The nose reveals notes of candied lemon, grapefruit, brioche, roasted hazelnut and a hint of aromatic herbs. Flavours of apples in caramel, ripe peach and sea salt combine with a subtle minerality in the background. Quintessence is majestic on the palate: powerful, yet with a delicate structure. The fruit appears mature, but always remains vital. The perlage is creamy, the acidity finely and elegantly integrated. The tannin structure and precision form a linear body, supported by great length and cool dynamism. The finish is long-lasting, with delicate notes of bitter almond and salt - a quiet, never loud wine with an impressive effect. SUPERIORE.DE

The name says it all: '61 commemorates the birth year of the very first Franciacorta and the first rosé Metodo Classico in Italy, which also came from Berlucchi. This line embodies the legacy of the pioneers Guido Berlucchi and Franco Ziliani in its purist form: Millesimato, Dosaggio Zero, without any compromise. The 2018 rosé comes from 100% Pinot Nero from the company's own vineyards Ragnoli, Quindicipiò and Gaspa in Corte Franca – all with a high planting density of 10,000 vines per hectare. The strict selection results in only 6,000 kg of grapes per hectare with a must yield of only 33%, which corresponds to 2,640 bottles. To achieve the characteristic rosé colour, some of the grapes are cold macerated for around 24 hours, while the rest is vinified as Blanc de Noirs. After fermentation in stainless steel, the base wines mature for six months on the lees, partly in barriques. This is followed by a second fermentation in the bottle and maturation on the lees for at least 60 months – five years, during which the wine develops its remarkable depth.

The Vintage Collection Extra Brut is the backbone of Ca' del Bosco – a cuvée that embodies everything that makes this style great: depth, precision and energy. No gimmicks, no overt fruitiness, but rather the archetype of a high-quality Franciacorta with a distinct character and tremendous inner tension. The cuvée is composed of Chardonnay, Pinot Nero and a small proportion of Pinot Bianco, harvested from the finest plots in Erbusco, Cazzago San Martino and Passirano. Each harvestand each batch is fermented separately – partly in small oak barrels, partly in steel – after which the wine rests on its lees, is blended, bottled and aged in the bottle for over 48 months. The dosage is kept to a minimum so as not to mask the structure of the vintage.

Vintage Collection dosage zéro is the purest expression of what Franciacorta can be – and Ca' del Bosco demonstrates just how far this ambition can be taken when precision and patience work in harmony. No dosage, no compromises – just the essence of the grape, the terroir and time. The cuvée, made from Chardonnay, Pinot Nero and Pinot Bianco, comes exclusively from vineyards selected for their expression, depth and freshness. Hand-harvested into small crates, gently pressed, with fermentation and ageing of the base wines in barriques – all under maximum protection from oxidation. This is followed by the tirage and over 50 months' ageing on the lees in the bottle. Disgorged without any added sugar – the pure backbone of the vintage.

In 1978, Ca' del Bosco launched a sparkling wine which the estate classified at the time as a Crémant, made exclusively from white grapes and designed to be smooth. Since 1990, it has been called Satèn, a name that evokes silk – the sensation it aims to create on the palate. Chardonnay from 25 vineyards across five municipalities in Franciacorta provides the backbone; the vines are on average 27 years old. 15% Pinot Bianco from two plots near Passirano, aged 32 years, adds the necessary roundness. As a vintage sparkling wine, it openly displays its vintage on the label, and 2021 proved a challenging year for the vines, with frost in April and hail in July. Twenty-seven base wines are blended, which mature for five months in small oak barrels before the wine spends an average of 53 months on the lees.

After the Second World War, Felice Dal Cero moved from Verona to Lugana di Sirmione on Lake Garda, where he began making wine. His son Pietro subsequently built up Ca’ dei Frati into one of Lombardy’s most prestigious estates – and, in 1969, was one of the co-signatories of the first Lugana DOC Disciplinare, the region’s first Denomination of Controlled Origin. When Pietro died in 2012, he left his children Igino, Gian Franco and Anna Maria not only a vineyard – but also a legacy. The siblings acquired further vineyards in Pian di Castagnè, in the eastern part of Valpolicella, near the Luxinum vineyard, on calcareous-marl soils with white and red flint fragments – —a terroir with a distinctly mineral character. It marked a return to their father’s roots. They therefore dedicated the wine they produce here to him: Pietro dal Cero – the father, to whom they gave back what he himself could never see again.

In 1956, Nino Negri became the first winery in Valtellina to embark on an experiment: Nebbiolo grapes, naturally dried in the same way as for Amarone, were to produce a red wine of unprecedented concentration and power. Within a few years, this experiment had become a model for the entire region. In 1983, Casimiro Maule, Oenologist estate's Oenologist since 1971, refined this tradition into the modern Cinque Stelle – named after the highest rating that a vintage's grapes must achieve in order to be considered for this wine at all.

R.S. stands for "Recentemente Sboccato" – recently disgorged. What sounds simple is the result of a decade of patience: this Edizione rested on the lees for 10 years and 4 months before it saw the light of day. Launched in 2020, the project makes the timeless elegance of the Cuvée Prestige accessible in its most mature form. The blend combines 75% of the 2014 vintage with 19% reserve from 2013 and 6% from 2012, obtained from 149 certified organic vineyards. The grape varieties: 82% Chardonnay, 11% Pinot Nero, 7% Pinot Bianco – each grape washed and dried according to the Ca' del Bosco method. The result is a Dosage Zéro of uncompromising purity.

Named after the founder of the estate, Maurizio Zanella Rosso is much more than just a name wine - it is a personal commitment to the idea of modern Italian red wine. Bordeaux grape varieties on Lombardy soil, French vinification techniques and Italian intuition: a cuvée that has been proving since the 1980s that great red wines are not bound by borders. The 2021 vintage is in the tradition of cooler, structured years - with crystal-clear fruit, lively freshness and excellent ageing potential. The blend consists of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, from single vineyards with poor, chalky soils and natural yield stress. The grapes are harvest strictly and selectively by hand. After fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks, the wine matures for around 13 months in small French barriques - around two thirds of which are new. It is then bottled, unfiltered, without fining.

In 1964, Annamaria Clementi Zanella bought a small house on a hill near Erbusco, along with two hectares of land, nestled amongst dense oak and chestnut woodland. The house is called Ca' del Bosc, and it continues to bear the estate's name to this day. From this wooded corner of Franciacorta – a region known primarily for its sparkling wine – comes a red wine that goes against the grain: the Pinéro, a pure Pinot Nero from six vineyards in Erbusco and Corte Franca, averaging 36 years of age. This grape variety is unforgiving; it demands patience in the vineyard and restraint in the cellar. Anyone who cultivates it in a region where sparkling wines are the norm is choosing the harder path – and must prove it in the glass, rather than explain it.

Selva della Tesa is no ordinary Chardonnay – it is the quiet counterpoint to Ca' del Bosco's world of sparkling wines, a solitary vineyard, a monolith of fruit, minerality and ageing potential. Situated in the hilly landscape of Erbusco, the plot – planted with old vines on loamy-limestone soils – produces the estate’s most concentrated harvestyear after year. Following hand-harvesting and the traditional washing process, the grapes are gently pressed and transferred to small French barriques, where spontaneous fermentation begins. This is followed by nine months' ageing on the fine lees, with regular bâtonnage. No influence from new oak for its own sake, but rather targeted work on the wine's structure. This is followed by over three years' bottle ageing to shape the wine's internal architecture.

Some wines are created according to plan. And some are created because nature wants them to be. Il Merlot belongs to the second category – a wine that is only born when terroir, climate and sun come together in rare harmony. Maurizio Zanella, the visionary behind Ca' del Bosco, has elevated this principle to a philosophy: since the first vintage in 1990, only six vintages have been deemed worthy of being bottled as single-varietal Merlot. 2015 was one of them. That year, Franciacorta challenged its winegrowers: a mild winter spurred the vegetation cycle early, fungal pressure in early summer demanded meticulous foliage work, then sweltering heat until the end of July. Only after Ferragosto did rain bring redemption – and gave the Merlot grapes the final ripeness that distinguishes greatness from favour. The harvest began on 9 September for the three "vigne elette" in Cazzago San Martino and Passirano, whose vines, which are on average 37 years old, are rooted in the calcareous moraine soils of Franciacorta.

An exceptional milestone in the art of Franciacorta: Palazzo Lana Extrême is masterfully composed and matured on the lees for 84 months before being bottled without dosage. 100% Pinot Noir from old, optimally exposed parcels, rigorously selected and with historic expressiveness. In the glass, it presents itself with bright gold and amber reflections, supported by a very fine-pored perlage. The bouquet is complex and brooding: candied citrus notes, brioche, almond cream, dried apricot, hay ground and a present salty minerality. The palate shows great Franciacorta style: precise acidity, creamy texture, elegant fruit and cool minerality. The finish is long, spicy and shows flavours of toasted almonds, jasmine and Sicilian sea salt in perfect balance. A solitaire that combines origin, depth and style in timeless harmony – serious, generous and with a lasting effect. SUPERIORE.DE

There are wines that embody a vision. And then there is this Riserva – named after the man who, in 1977, stood on a hill overlooking Lake Iseo and decided to give Italy a sparkling wine to rival the Grands Crus of Champagne. Vittorio Moretti, a pioneer with an irrepressible spirit, created more than just a winery with Bellavista. He created a philosophy of perfection. The Riserva that bears his name is produced exclusively in exceptional years. It is the quintessence of what Franciacorta has to offer: the best soils, the most beautiful exposures, the oldest vines. Chardonnay and Pinot Nero, blended in almost equal parts, from historic plots more than 30 years old. Vinification takes place in small white oak barrels, followed by a long journey: seven years on the lees, during which the bottles are sealed with cork stoppers – a tribute to the traditional method.