Winemaker Notes
Very good as aperitif or paired with linguine with shrimp, fried mussels, grilled squid, shrimp, fried fish and pizza.
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
Both spicy and sweetly alluring, the NV Brut Franciacorta draws the taster in with a pretty blend of ground ginger, lime zest and wet stone. It’s a luxuriously round effort with hints of ripe orchard fruit and candied citrus propelled by juicy acidity. This tapers off medium length and is wonderfully refreshing with a candied apple resonance.
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Wine Enthusiast
Enticing aromas of pressed wild flower, chamomile and white stone fruit lead the nose. The bright palate delivers ripe yellow apple, white peach and dried herb alongside an elegant, lively perlage. A lemon-drop note gives it a tangy finish.
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.