This Chardonnay-based sparkler was barrel-fermented, then spent 40 months en tirage before disgorgement, finishing with 7 g/L of dosage. The robe is the palest yellow color with a quiet bead, but the long time on lees has made it redolent of amaretto and citrus — like an almond biscotto dunked in limoncello. The palate is at first bracing and clean, but the finish blooms in fizzy lemon before subsiding into complex notes of fennel, almond, and brioche.
Pair it with fish courses, especially tender white fish or shellfish with beurre blanc or a knob of citrusy compound butter. Try it also with aged cheeses, especially grana or gouda (it’s too complicated for young cheeses).
2012 Ricci Curbastro Satèn Brut Franciacorta
12% abv | $35 (sample) Imported by Domenico Valentino
