WOTM: Berlucchi, Franciacorta, ’61 Satèn’, Brut, NV

Our November Wine of the Month is a new addition to our sparkling wine range from one of the finest and most historic Franciacorta producers, often being described as the producer that invented Franciacorta. The award winning sparkling wine is Berlucchi, Franciacorta, ’61 Satèn’, Brut, NV – 100% Chardonnay from the Lombardy region of Northern Italy.

In a nutshell

An elegant, smooth and refined sparkling wine, with a soft, creamy mousse enveloping notes of peach, apricot and tropical fruit balanced by a lovely tangy freshness.

The producer

The Berlucchi family winery was founded in 1955 by Guido Berlucchi, Franco Ziliani and Giorgio Lanciani. Together, they transformed Franciacorta into one of Italy’s most prestigious regions for the production of sparkling wine. Franciacorta’s renaissance began with Guido Berlucchi’s creation of the very first Classic Method wine in 1961. With a pioneering spirit, Berlucchi introduced and promoted expertise that had not existed in Franciacorta until that point, inspiring many other passionate, forward-thinking producers to follow suit. Together, they transformed this region into the crown jewel of Italian winemaking. From their estate in Borgonato, Berlucchi follows a philosophy of high-quality viticulture that is environmentally sustainable. In 1962 they introduced ‘Max Rosé’, Italy’s very first Classic Method Rosé. After nearly 60 successful years at the helm of the company, Franco Ziliani passed his expertise onto the next generation, his children Cristina, Arturo and Paolo. In 2022, Berlucchi was awarded the prestigious ‘Winery of the Year’ by Gambero Rosso.

The wine

The grapes were gently pressed and the musts underwent cold static clarification. Fermentation took place with selected yeasts, controlled at 16°C. Once the first fermentation was complete, the wine was racked to remove the coarse lees. The base wines was refined on the fine lees for around six months with variable frequency bâtonnage, before the final blend which included 10% reserve wines aged in French oak barriques and tonneaux. The secondary fermentation to obtain the sparkling wine, took place in bottle; it was refined on the lees for 24 months, followed by a further two after disgorgement.