Winemaker Notes
The masterpiece of Franciacorta. In other words, no limits, a constantly evolving value. Like the exclusive commitment needed to make this Franciacorta dedicated to Annamaria Clementi, founder of Ca' del Bosco and Maurizio Zanella's mother. No compromises, no concessions. Only the finest grapes from the various crus are earmarked for this icon wine. And only in the finest years. Meticulous vinification and very long bottle refinement at least eight years on yeasts.
Extraordinarily complex bouquet, exceptionally full and persistent taste. Apricot, exotic fruit, freshly baked baguette and warm, yeasty notes with crushed mineral and menthol herb on the finish. The richness of the wine's texture is what really stands out. This is a creamy and enduring effort that wraps thickly over the palate with elegant mousse and long multi-layered finish.
An excellent wine for special occasions. It is a natural companion with Osetra Caviar, mushrooms and truffles, scallop and lobster.
Blend: 83% Chardonnay, 15% Pinot Noir, 2% Pinot Blanc
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This wine has improved a lot in the last vintages, with more restraint and classic style. The nose is rich, as ever, with green apples and ripe stone fruits, yet allied to lime-peel and pastry aromas, enhanced by chalky mineral undertones. Full-bodied, it shows amazing finesse of bubbles, with weight and a tight-knit structure, zesty acidity and mineral length. Drink or hold.
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Wine Spectator
This vibrant sparkler shows lovely equilibrium. The fine china–like frame of acidity is enmeshed with the finely textured, creamy mousse, which carries flavors of mandarin orange, chopped white raspberry and dried pineapple fruit, plus savory details of beeswax, oyster shell, smoked almond and lemon thyme that echo on the persistent finish. Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco and Pinot Nero. Disgorged autumn 2024. Drink now through 2036.
Ca' del Bosco is on the leading edge of the exciting new wave of Italian wine producers, making absolutely top-quality sparkling and still wines. Maurizio Zanella founded the winery in 1968, and dedicated himself to distinguishing the sparkling wines of Franciacorta. The winery owns more than 230 acres in the region, with vineyards planted to Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Pinot Nero and other indigenous Franciacorta grapes. Ca' del Bosco's reputation for sparkling wines has been secured by the excellence of its cuvées.
Situated among the gentle hills of Brescia, south of Lake Iseo, the Franciacorta region of Lombardy and its neighboring towns were historically better known for their production of firearms than wine. Maurizio Zanella has changed all of that and his talents have placed Franciacorta on the map of quality Italian wine regions. Zanella has worked to ensure the word "Franciacorta" would indicate a specific type of sparkling wine from a specific region, and would not be confused with "methode champenoise" or "spumante." In 1995, his dream came true and the sparkling wine of Franciacorta was named a D.O.C.G. to be marketed as "Franciacorta." Since the new D.O.C.G. standards require a minimum of two years aging before release, the first Ca' del Bosco Franciacorta D.O.C.G. were released to the international market in 1997.
Representing the topmost expression of a Champagne house, a vintage Champagne is one made from the produce of a single, superior harvest year. Vintage Champagnes account for a mere 5% of total Champagne production and are produced about three times in a decade. Champagne is typically made as a blend of multiple years in order to preserve the house style; these will have non-vintage, or simply, NV on the label. The term, "vintage," as it applies to all wine, simply means a single harvest year.
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.