The 12 Wines of Christmas, Ca' Del Bosco Franciacorta Cuvee Prestige
Beth Ribblett
A fun way to introduce you some of our favorite wines in the store that we believe would make great gifts!
The beautiful property of Ca' Del Bosco in Franciacorta, Italy
Our next wine of Christmas is a high-quality sparkling that can rival Champagne but from my favorite place in the world!
I'll admit, it took me a long time to appreciate Franciacorta. As a women obsessed with Italian wine who is in the business, you wouldn't think it would take almost 8 years to get "it". But in my defense, the problem with Franciacorta was that its availability in the US had been scarce and with only 11% of its production sold abroad, it was something I rarely got to taste. Then I went to northern Italy for the first time and Franciacorta was everywhere! And affordable - and made by producers I'd never heard of - and I could drink a different one everyday to start my meal. I became obsessed with tasting every Franciacorta I could find! And I finally got "it". High quality bubbles that could rival Champagne from my favorite place in the world? What a no brainer!
So after that visit in 2014, I came back home and started asking our wholesalers about Franciacorta and excitedly they have been trickling into the market. Berlucchi, Ferghettina, Bellavista, Ca del Bosco, Cantadi Castaldi, Montenisa, Barone Pizzini...I'm was so excited that we bought a new shelf just to accommodate all of the Franciacorta (as well as the 50+ different bottles of sparkling from all over the world! ) I want to buy!
Tasting at Ca' Del Bosco, April 2015
Which brings us to my next in the lineup of 12 wines of Christmas, the Ca' Del Bosco Cuvee Prestige, the elegant wine in the elegant package that has been a staple on our shelves and at the bar since I returned from that trip. It is a great way to introduce people to the quality bubbles from the region. We were able to visit there this year and the property is as stunning as their wine!
The Cuvee Prestige, a staple on our shelves and at the bar.
NV Ca del Bosco Franciacorta Cuvee Prestige Brut
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 91 points
The NV Franciacorta Cuvée Prestige Brut offers a sophisticated and stylish presentation with exotic fruit, baked bread, peach cobbler and Golden Delicious apple. This pretty Cuvée (made with 75% Chardonnay, 10% Pinot Bianco and 15% Pinot Nero) offers a great sense of richness and creaminess that adds to the fine and silky nature of the perlage. It has the natural acidity and bright freshness to pair with raw seafood.