Intense straw-yellow with gold highlights. Broad and deep, with notes of ripe plum, lime blossom, and caramelized hazelnut. Elegance and fine balance are the hallmarks of the palate, which showcases both a velvety smoothness and a well-calibrated acidity. The finish is impressively satisfying, with a near-tactile consistency lifted by a delicate bead.

Berlucchi’s excellence is born of curiosity and deep friendship. In 1955, Guido Berlucchi, a successful landowner in the Franciacorta region, approached the young enologist and consultant, Franco Ziliani, to improve his still wines. Then, Ziliani came to Berlucchi with the question: what if we were to make a sparkling wine as the French do? Berlucchi, who was eager to first improve the viability of his Pinot del Castello, offered his property and support to this pioneering experiment.

After a number of unsatisfactory vintages, the two men’s partnership produced the first shining vintage of their classic method sparkling wine, the 1961 “Pinot di Franciacorta.” In 1967, Franciacorta became a recognized designation of origin for Italian wine, with Berlucchi leading the way.

Unencumbered by generations of expectation and tradition, Berlucchi succeeded at crafting an elevated sparkling wine, tailored to Italian standards of excellence. They will undoubtedly continue to brighten the pallets and parties of bubbly lovers well beyond the region of Franciacorta.

Mid-August harvest. Average yield of 8,500 kilograms of grapes per hectare with a must yield of 28%. Slow, gentle pressing with quality-fractioning of the juice. Fermentation in steel, and the finest lots then mature for 6 months in French oak barrels. The cuvée is assembled the following spring with only wine from the previous year. Second fermentation in bottle and maturation for at least 5 years on the lees, followed by an additional 6 months after disgorgement.