Market Watch, March 1, 2017

WINE SENSEItalian JewelFranciacorta is Italys finest and most enigmatic sparkling wineFranciacorta got its start on the Berlucchi wine estate pictured The sparkling Italian wine has achieved a high end reputation Proseccos star has burned brightly over recent years but far less conspicuous is Franciacorta the hidden jewel of Italian sparklers Franciacorta both a region and a wine is located in Lombardy about an hours drive east of Milan and into the heart of Italys lake country Its vineyards lie near the shores of Lake Iseo where the regional wine route the Strada del Franciacorta winds through a fairy tale landscape of vineyards villas and rolling green hills Within this picturesque scene Franciacortas winegrowing area is relatively tiny with a DOCG that comprises roughly 7000 acres By comparison the Prosecco DOCG is around 16000 acres and the broader Prosecco DOC covers more than 43000 acres Champagnes appellation is over 83000 acres more than 10 times that of Franciacorta But Franciacortas winemakers say this artisanal scale holds the key to quality Franciacorta is so small that we couldnt be mass producers even if we wanted to be says Arturo Ziliani winemaker and co owner of Guido Berlucchi e C S pA one of the regions leading producers Instead we focus relent lessly on quality Vittorio Moretti co owner of the Cantina Bellavista winery and current president of the regional consortium Consorzio del Franciacorta agrees Were all medium to small sized wineries which means that we have direct control of production he notes Handcrafting is at the heart of our method and that translates into quality Modern OriginsFranciacortas origins as a sparkling wine region are surprisingly modern The story began in 1955 when local enologist Franco Ziliani driven by a fondness for Champagne style wines joined with Guido Berlucchi owner of the Berlucchi wine estate to make a regional sparkler The two partners released 3000 bottles of Pinot di Franciacorta in 1961 the regions first sparkling expression to instant acclaim Production rose rapidly and in 1967 Franciacorta was recognized with a DOC then elevated to DOCG status in 1995 Guido Berlucchi became renowned as the king of Italian sparklers and his wines were considered equal to the top Champagnes After Guido Berlucchis death in 2000 Franco Ziliani gained full ownership of the winery and today he runs the estate with his children Cristina Arturo and Paolo Annual production at Berlucchi is 42 million bottles and the brand sells approximately 1700 nine liter cases in the U S market with sales skewing 70 percent toward the on premise Its key labels in the United States are its Cuvée 61 Brut and Cuvée 61 Brut Rosé both 32 a 750 ml Other wineries in Franciacorta followed Berlucchis lead in making sparkling wine Maurizio Zanella founded one of the regions most prestigious players Ca del Bosco in 1969 Today its among the areas largest producers with annual production at around 125000 cases Ca del Bosco sells just under 8000 cases in the U S market where its imported by Miami based Santa Margherita USA The portfolio features a range of about eight wines 40 to 120 a 750 ml led by its Cuvée Prestige Cuvée Prestige Rosé and Vintage Collection Satèn labels Bellavista debuted in 1977 when Vittorio Moretti purchased a Franciacorta hillside property of the same name Moretti produced his first vintage in 1979 with the simple goal of sharing it with friends In 1981 he teamed up with winemaker Mattia Vezzola and transformed Bellavista into one of Franciacortas most renowned producers Today Bellavista owns 470 acres of vineyards spread throughout the region Champagne ComparisonFranciacorta is produced from a blend of three grape varietals Chardonnay Pinot Nero and Pinot Bianco a nearly identi cal mix to Champagne Chardonnay comprises 82 percent of plantings with Pinot Nero accounting for 14 percent and Pinot Bianco 4 percent Harvesting is done by hand and the produc tion complexities are as formidable as in Champagne The wines must age on the lees for at least 18 months 30 months PHOTO BY ANTONIO SABA92 MARKET WATCH MARKETWATCHMAG COM MARCH 2017MW0317_