Franciacorta Brùt

Description

Franciacorta Brut is a sparkling wine produced in Franciacorta, in the province of Brescia. This area, located south of Lake Iseo, enjoys a particularly mild climate that has always favored grape growing, so much so that the wines produced here were already known in Roman times. The Contadi Castaldi winery, which produces this sparkling wine, is located in Adro. Here, Monte Alto protects the vineyards from the northerly winds and the fogs of the plain. The soil is composed of marine sedimentary rocks, namely limestone, marl, and sandstone. Franciacorta Brut holds the Controlled and Guaranteed Designation of Origin, the first Italian brut to obtain this recognition. It is made using 80% Chardonnay grapes, 10% Pinot Noir, and another 10% Pinot Blanc. The training system used is partly Guyot and partly Casarsa, with a planting density of 3,000-5,000 vines per hectare. The harvest takes place between the end of August and the beginning of September, strictly by hand, and the grapes are collected in small crates to avoid crushing the bunches. The grapes are then softly pressed and cold static decantation occurs. Selected yeasts are then added and fermentation takes place for 20 days in stainless steel containers. The initial aging lasts 7 months and takes place partly in stainless steel and partly in barriques. The wine is then cold stabilized, bottled and aged on the lees for 20-26 months, followed by disgorgement and a further aging period of another 3-4 months.

Details

Perfume

White flowers in the bouquet, which advances freshly and brightly, with enveloping fruity notes and hints of aniseed, nougat and honey. It is the childhood recollection of candied peel, the alchemic pleasure of warm spicy notes that blend in the finish with accents of liquorice and cinnamon.

Taste

On the palate there is a savoury, tangy and pulpy freshness.

Serve at:

06 - 08 °C.

Longevity:

05 - 10 years

Producer

Producer

Contadi Castaldi

From this winery

• Start up year: 1987
• Oenologist: Gian Luca Uccelli
• Bottles produced: 1.600.000
• Hectares: 174

In an attractive industrial building in Franciacorta, where they made bricks from the earth, Contadi Castaldi perfected the concept of Satèn, by bringing two French canons, blanc de blanc and crémant together in one wine. The choice of only white grapes, Chardonnay and Pinot bianco, results in less pressure in the bottles, so that the froth is lighter and more abundant.

Satèn means silkiness, a sensation that transferred from touch to the palate and can be rendered with creaminess even though this doesn’t convey the freshness of Satèn Contadi Castaldi. How can we describe it? Maybe by taking a step back and staying with the expression "like silk". Anything that is able to evoke the full-bodied lightness, the depth of thought, the princely humour that is as delicate as it is politely fickle, a graceful smile or a gesture that sows questions.

So, we're almost there. If we squeeze into a single image the impression of freshness, softness, immediacy, charging it with the absolute yellow of gold, we cannot but define what is young, who or who feels young. Satèn evokes that malice still lacking in contrasts, a free richness, the ease of wanting with joy. Read more

Lombardy

Technical Sheet

Name	Contadi Castaldi Franciacorta Brut
Type	White brut
Denomination	Franciacorta DOCG
Size	0,75 l
Alcohol content	12.5% by volume
Grape varieties	80% Chardonnay, 10% Pinot Bianco, 10% Pinot Nero
Country	Italy
Region	Lombardy
Vendor	Contadi Castaldi
Cultivation system	Guyot, Casarsa.
Plants per hectare	3,000-5,000 vines/hectare
Yield per hectare	10,000 Kg/hectare
Harvest	From August 20 to 6 September
Wine making	Soft pressing. Cold static settling. Selected yeast inoculation. Fermentation 20 days in stainless tanks AISI 316. Partial malolactic fermentation.
Aging	7 months part in stainless tanks and part in barriques. Refinement on the yeast 18 to 30 months.
Allergens	Contains sulphites