(2022) From a avery small winery this is all Chardonnay, with fermentation in French oak barrels, followed by six months ageing in the barrels and a minimum of 30 months on the lees. Fine almond and mineral flecked creamy nose, with plenty of biscuit and fresh lemony flavour. The palate has lovely juiciness and succulence: lots of fresh-squeezed lemon running through peach, that light creaminess of texture adding some mouth-filling texture, the acidity very fresh with a touch of salinity. Only 6g/l dosage, disgorged in October 2020.
(2022) Composed of 70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Noir, this was fermented in steel but the finest musts then matured six months in French oak. The wine then spends a minimum of five years on the lees plus five more in bottle before release. Very fine mousse, with a custard apple creaminess, some yeasty biscuit notes and a fat lemony fruit. With virtually no residual sugar it is taut, driven by citrus, and though there's a certain lean, wiry character, it is not mean or under-fruited. It is all about mouthwatering citrus and acid thrust, but the inherent ripeness avoids any suggestion of lacking generosity.
(2016) A favourite of mine in previous vintages, this zero dosage organic Franciacorta comes from a single vineyard and spends 60 months on the lees. It's a 50/50 blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, the base wine fermented and aged six months in barriques. Just delicious richness here despite the absence of sugar, the shimmering lemon acidity is superb, just vivacious and sparky, with supreme brightness, the ripeness of fruit balancing the acidity.
(2016) Not yet disgorged at time of tasting, the early summer was rainy and cool, but from mid-July onwards a heatwave meant the wine ended up with perfect sugar-acid ratios, and a small but high quality crop. It is hugely aromatic at this stage, lots of punch and vivacious character, real energy and life with some tropical and Mandarin orange aromas.The palate has a background creaminess of flavour, but that spark and vitality of the vintage comes through. Very promising.
(2016) After a temperamental spring the summer saw settled, sunny weather and good diurnal shift. A touch lighter than the 2006 in colour, but a big step up on the 2004 and 2003 with lovely tertiary aromas, a salty note joining lightly earthy, truffle and vegetal notes, complex but feeling quite young and taut. Delicious autolytic character, bready and brioche flavours and then lemon rind and mineral acidity.
(2016) A mix of rain and very dry conditions over spring and summer, but August saw perfect conditions and a 10°C diurnal shift. A slightly deeper colour than the 2007, a hint of burnished gold. Complex, developed aromatics here, salts and citrus, a hint of mushroom and truffle and yet herby/floral nuances too. Superb palate, definite toasty and peachy development, but gorgeous finesse, the acidity thrilling and clear in the finish.
(2016) A mild winter and early vine growth, bud break 20 days earlier than average. A mild summer allowed long, slow ripening, with a well-timed heat spike just before harvest in the second week of August. Quite pale - paler than the '08 or '09 - and yeasty, with a touch of toffee and honey, but it seems very elegant and refined aromatically, and youthful. Creamy and ripe, and a delicious example which may have considerable ageing potential as that refined acidity and balance is there.
(2016) Still a touch of green to the pale gold colour. Fine, light, toasty nose again a little flinty character, and such lovely crunchy apple and citrus - lime peel and lemon peel. Great combination of juicy freshness and that developed toastiness. Nice taut finish.
(2016) Very good weather conditions in 2009, slightly earlier bud-break and harvested two weeks earlier than 2010. I really enjoyed this opulent EBB, where I detected a little more new oak perhaps, its buttercup hue showing real Chardonnay apple-pie creaminess and a hint of flinty minerality. The palate shows plenty of fine orangey fruit and singing acidity, full and yet shimmering with life and freshness. Arguably a less refined style than some here but I loved its generosity.
