Franciacorta Flashcards
1
Q
Describe Franciacorta
A
- Italy’s largest region for traditional sparkling wines
- Principally Chardonnay & Pinot Noir
- Loacted in Lombardy, central northern Italy
- Compact zone, surrounded by low hills, Lake Iseo at Northern boundary
- Aims to be Italian-made competition for Champagne
- Ripe apple & peach fruit, prominent biscuit autolytic notes, med alcohol, med (+) acidity
- Very good/outstanding, premium priced
2
Q
Climate of Franciacorta
A
- Warm continental moderated by
- cool air from Alps during summer
- Lake Iseo
- Spring frost occasionally issue (eg 2017)
- Fruit ripens whilst retaining acidity
- Most vineyards on gentle slopes
- Adequate rain - Spring/Summer good growing. Irrigation installed, can be used if nec.
3
Q
Soils of Franciacorta
A
- Mixed 6 types cos of glacial action, emphasizing different floral, dried fruit and spicy, vegetal notes
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4
Q
Harvest in Franciacorta
A
- Hand-picked
- Pick early (second half August/ early Sept) to avoid Autumn rain. Shorter ripening period than Trento
- Vintage variation limited (beware cold wet 2014)
5
Q
Grapes of Franciacorta
A
- Chardonnay 75%
- Pinot Noir
- a little Pinot Blanc
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6
Q
Vineyard management of Franciacorta
A
Aiming to compete with champagne, so everything to improve quality
- New vineyards minimum density 4500 vines/ha
- Banned heavy cropping systems (eg pergola. Geneva Double-Curtain)
- Since 1990s cordon training with spur pruning/ head-trained with replacement cane pruning (Guyot)
- 75% estates organic (aiming 100%)
- All grapes estate grown - contributes to high quality
7
Q
Wine making in Franciacorta
A
- Whites: Whole bunch pressed to ensure high quality/ low phenolic
- (Direct pressing allowed for rosé and red for blending)
- max yield after pressing 65 hL/ha
- Ferment and age in stainless steel - primary fruit
- Millesimato & Riserva can use some old oak - complexity
- Practice varies regarding malo
- Large producers use reserve wines for complexity
- Traditional method
- Min lees aging is high - 18 mths for basic NV - though often exceeded
8
Q
The 5 styles of Franciacorta
A
- Non-Vintage Franciacorta
- Satèn
- Rosé
- Millesimato
- Riserva
9
Q
Non-Vintage Franciacorta
A
- Chard- Pinot Noir but 50% Pinot Blanc allowed
- min 18 mths lees
- in reality usually single vintage
10
Q
Satèn
A
- Franciacorta
- white grapes only (us 100% Chardonnay)
- min 24mths on lees
- less sugar at tirage for pressure no more than 5 bars
- only a Brut style
11
Q
Franciacorta Rosé
A
- From 2018 min 35% Pinot Noir
- Minimum 24 mths on lees
- Colour usually skin contact with Pinot Noir portion, but blending with red is permitted
12
Q
Millesimato Franciacorta and Riserva Franciacorta
A
- Millesimato
- Vines with vintage declared
- Minimum 85% fruit from that year
- Min 30 months on lees
- Riserva are Millesimato wines with min 60 mths on lees
13
Q
Sweetness levels of Franciacorta
A
- As per standard EU, incl dossagio zero (Brut Nature)
- NB In practice dosage is us added at lower levels (eg Brut may only be 6g/l or less)
14
Q
Legal wine status of Franciacorta
A
- Originally DOC, promoted to DOCG
- Since 2003 simply “Franciacorta” (like Champagne)
15
Q
What is the Franciacorta Consorzio
A
- Body representing all producers
- Carried out zoning studies to help understand soil types with a view to raising quality
