Castello Bonomi Franciacorta Cru Perdu Grande Annata Extra Brut 2016

Cellar for up to 8 years. Serve chilled. Set in the far south of the Franciacorta appellation, Castello Bonomi has a solid record for producing exceptional sparkling wines using the traditional method. The property is named after the magnificent chateau on the estate which is an original Art Nouveau building designed by Antonio Tagliaferri at the end of the 19th century. Viticulture in the wider Franciacorta region dates back to the Middle Ages when small communities of Benedictine monks began to make wine here. Locals claim that the first ancestor of sparkling wine was produced here in the 13th century, some four centuries before the emergence of Champagne. Castello Bonomi’s vines are planted on the slopes of Monte Orfano at an altitude of around 275 metres above sea level which helps to lock in plenty of freshness and aromatics in the grapes. Once in the winery the grapes are gently pressed and the juice ferments in steel tanks and wooden casks. The second fermentation then takes place in the bottle, using the same process used to make Champagne in France. In total the wine spends 36 months in the bottle ageing on the lees, which helps create tiny, delicate bubbles and hints of freshly-baked pastries and vanilla spice mingling with the ripe orchard fruit notes from the grapes.

Price: £28.03 from 8wines UK