Bocelli Le Franette Bianco 2014
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For over 180 years, long before Andrea Bocelli was famous for music, the Bocelli family has been known for wine. For over 130 years, spanning 3 generations, they have made classic Italian wines on their small estate in Tuscany. To this day, "Mamma Bocelli" still enjoys working in the fields, carefully hand-tying vines. Sister-in-law Cinzia and brother Alberto manage the azienda, and receive guests that stop by to say hello – it is a true family affair.
And if there is one thing that Andrea, Alberto, and their family love to do, it is to share their special brand of Italian culture with friends around the world. Whether it is the music of "La Boheme," or the wine of la dolce vita, they understand the art of living well. That is why, for the very first time, they have partnered with other exceptional growers to produce Bocelli Family Wines – wines that express the unique pleasures, and character, of Italy; wines that they enjoy at their own table.
All of the wines are personally produced and selected by Alberto and Andrea Bocelli and their partners, and are of exceptional quality and provenance. From estate-grown, single cru wines with just a few hundred cases made, to their immensely pleasing partner-grown selections, Bocelli Family Wines combines three of Andrea and Alberto's favorite things in life: music, wine, and la famiglia.
With hundreds of white grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended white wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used in white wine blends, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a variety that creates a soft and full-bodied white wine blend, like Chardonnay, would do well combined with one that is more fragrant and naturally high in acidity. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
One of the most iconic Italian regions for wine, scenery and history, Tuscany is the world’s most important outpost for the Sangiovese grape. Tuscan wine ranges in style from fruity and simple to complex and age-worthy, Sangiovese makes up a significant percentage of plantings here, with the white Trebbiano Toscano coming in second.
Within Tuscany, many esteemed wines have their own respective sub-zones, including Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. The climate is Mediterranean and the topography consists mostly of picturesque rolling hills, scattered with vineyards.
Sangiovese at its simplest produces straightforward pizza-friendly Tuscan wines with bright and juicy red fruit, but at its best it shows remarkable complexity and ageability. Top-quality Sangiovese-based wines can be expressive of a range of characteristics such as sour cherry, balsamic, dried herbs, leather, fresh earth, dried flowers, anise and tobacco. Brunello, an exceptionally bold Tuscan wine, expresses well the particularities of vintage variations and is thus popular among collectors. Chianti is associated with tangy and food-friendly dry wines at various price points. A more recent phenomenon as of the 1970s is the “Super Tuscan”—a red wine made from international grape varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Syrah, with or without Sangiovese. These are common in Tuscany’s coastal regions like Bolgheri, Val di Cornia, Carmignano and the island of Elba.