In 1961, friends Guido Berlucchi, Franco Zillani, and Giorgio Lanciani decided to launch a sparkling wine project: Franciacorta. This wine, a nonvintage rosé sparkler, is named for that fateful year. It’s a 60/40 blend of Pinot noir and Chardonnay, pale salmon colored with a quiet bead. The aromas suggest mango, apricot, strawberries, and wet limestone. The palate delivers a creamy, even-textured mousse with nimble liveliness. The wine tastes almost tropical, with flavors of pineapple and passion fruit, but its minerality rescues it from over-exuberance. A great value for a traditional method rosé.
NV Berlucchi Rosé ’61 Franciacorta DOCG
12.5% ABV | about $40 (sample); imported by Volio
