Winemaker Notes
Franciacorta's layered geological formations boast complex microclimates. Wines are defined by both a sub-Alpine and Mediterranean-type climate due to the proximity of Lake Iseo. Summers are tolerably hot and dry, while winters remain milder, contributing to freshness and complex aromas. Morainic soils are conducive to stone fruit flavors, spice and florality.
Animante Brut offers a zesty texture, a vein of minerality and vibrant acidity that cuts through a creamy risotto or pasta.
Blend: 63% Chardonnay, 18% Pinot Nero, 12% Pinot Bianco, 7% Erbamat
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Dive into a refreshing sea of citrus with this Franciacorta. Lime and mixed-citrus notes evoke the tanginess of key lime pie. Tart and crunchy on the palate, each sip is a mouth-watering delight. A limestone and chalky finish begs for a platter of freshly shucked oysters.
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Wine & Spirits
A blend of chardonnay with some pinot noir and blanc from 25 vineyard sites, all organically farmed, this ages in stainless steel for six months before resting on the lees for 20 to 30 months, picking up notes of fresh mushroom and sourdough bread crust. With less than four grams of dosage, the accent is on lemony acidity and brisk Granny Smith apple flavors, clean and refreshing.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Made with organically-farmed fruit, the non-vintage Franciacorta Brut Animante is a plush and textured sparkling wine that peels back slowly to reveal aromas of peach, honeydew melon, pear and Golden Delicious apple. Crisp acidity helps to create a mouthfeel that is light, tonic and graced with a great sense of energy and brightness. The wine presents mild textural richness that suggests immediate or near-term drinking window.
A term typically reserved for Champagne and Sparkling Wines, non-vintage or simply “NV” on a label indicates a blend of finished wines from different vintages (years of harvest). To make non-vintage Champagne, typically the current year’s harvest (in other words, the current vintage) forms the base of the blend. Finished wines from previous years, called “vins de reserve” are blended in at approximately 10-50% of the total volume in order to achieve the flavor, complexity, body and acidity for the desired house style. A tiny proportion of Champagnes are made from a single vintage.
There are also some very large production still wines that may not claim one particular vintage. This would be at the discretion of the winemaker’s goals for character of the final wine.
Containing an exciting mix of wine producing subregions, Lombardy is Italy’s largest in size and population. Good quality Pinot noir, Bonarda and Barbera have elevated the reputation of the plains of Oltrepò Pavese. To its northeast in the Alps, Valtellina is the source of Italy’s best Nebbiolo wines outside of Piedmont. Often missed in the shadow of Prosecco, Franciacorta produces collectively Italy’s best Champagne style wines, and for the fun and less serious bubbly, find Lambrusco Mantovano around the city of Mantua. Lugana, a dry white with a devoted following, is produced to the southwest of Lake Garda.