Lo Sparviere Franciacorta Extra Brut

Lo Spaviere Franciacorta DOCG Extrabrut sparkling wine is produced in the renowned wine-growing area of Franciacorta, located on the hills south of Lake Iseo, near Brescia. Grape cultivation here has an ancient history, dating back to Roman times. The mild climate has always favored the growth of this crop. This sparkling wine is produced by the Lo Sparviere winery, owned by the Gussalli Beretta family, which has a long tradition of winemaking. This Extrabrut boasts the DOCG label and was awarded 4 stars in the “Vini Buoni d’Italia 2018” guide. Lo Sparviere Franciacorta DOCG Extrabrut is produced using exclusively Chardonnay grapes grown in two vineyards, in Monticelli Brusati and Provaglio d’Iseo, both facing south. The soil is of morainic origin, with excellent skeletal structure and a good presence of red clay and silt. The Chardonnay grape variety, clone 130 SMA, is trained using the spurred cordon system with 3-4 fruiting canes of 5-6 buds each. The harvest, which begins in late August, is done by hand with selection of the grapes in the vineyard. The pressing of the whole bunches is gentle, and only half of the free-run must obtained is used for the production of the sparkling wine. Fermentation initially takes place mostly in stainless steel containers and 20% in oak barrels. The wines are then transferred to the bottle for the actual sparkling winemaking process, where they will continue to mature on the lees for 36 months.