Winemaker Notes
#68 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2019
Bright pink that acquires coppery glints while aging. Rich and full with typical fragrance of yeast, as well as wild berries and hints of vanilla. Harmonious, smooth, easy to drink, particularly enjoyable for delicate palates.
Blend: 45% Chardonnay, 25% Pinot Nero, 10% Pinot Bianco
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The NV Brut Rosé Franciacorta Edea opens with a pretty blend of minty herbs, chamomile and white strawberries. Fine bubbles splash across the palate, driven by a core of zesty acidity, as tart orchard fruits are elevated by a tinge of sour citrus toward the close. It finishes wickedly fresh, nearly salty in character, leaving a spike of green apple tension to linger.
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Wine Enthusiast
Fresh and vibrant, this rosé is a show stopper. Aromas of ripe raspberries and wild strawberries explode out of the glass, while subtle notes of rose and brioche develop with time. The palate bursts with juicy red cherries and a hint of cranberry, finishing with a delightful pop of zesty citrus.
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Wine Spectator
An expressive rosé, with mouthwatering acidity and a satiny mousse, this offers flavors of ripe nectarine, candied ginger, pomegranate and star anise, underscored by chalky mineral notes. Drink now through 2024.
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James Suckling
Low-key nose with notes of blood oranges and strawberries on a lean palate. Light-bodied with tight acidity and finish, but nice. Simple but tense and clean.
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.