Ca' del Bosco Annamaria Clementi Franciacorta DOCG - 2016

Ca' del Bosco's most prestigious Franciacorta, dedicated to its founder, Annamaria Clementi. Aged for over 7 years on the lees for extraordinary complexity: notes of bread crust, white flowers, dried fruit, and sweet spices. Extremely fine and persistent perlage, with an interminable finish.

Grape varieties
Chardonnay 82%, Pinot Nero 15%, Pinot Bianco 3%.
Vineyards of origin
16 Chardonnay vineyards, with an average age of 36 years, located in the municipalities of Erbusco, Adro, Corte
Franca, Iseo, and Passirano.
7 Pinot Nero vineyards, with an average age of 31 years, located in the municipalities of Erbusco, Iseo, and Passirano. 2 Pinot Bianco vineyards, with an average age of 30 years, located in the municipality of Passirano.
Harvest
2015. The winter was characterized by temperatures well above the seasonal average and heavy rainfall in November and December. This warm season led to an early vegetative cycle, with a higher than average number of bunches. In May and the first ten days of June, there were limited but frequent rainfall events, and temperatures remained consistently above average. We therefore suffered from high pressure from fungal diseases (powdery mildew and downy mildew). From mid-June, the heat finally set in, and sultry, dry weather persisted until the end of July. Towards the end of the month, emergency irrigation was even necessary in the most struggling vineyards. After mid-August, with the harvest just beginning, the rain finally arrived, allowing the grapes to reach optimal ripeness. An early vintage that reveals itself in the Franciacortas through remarkable structure and aromatic intensity, without ever compromising on elegance.

Vinification
Annamaria Clementi is the result of the pursuit of excellence, both in the vineyard and in the cellar. In compliance with the Ca’ del Bosco Method, the grapes, harvested by hand into small crates, are promptly coded and cooled in cold storage. Every bunch is selected by expert eyes and hands before benefiting from our exclusive “bunch spa.” A special washing and hydromassage system for the bunches, using three soaking tanks and a system for complete drying. The base wines are obtained exclusively from first-pressing musts. Alcoholic fermentation takes place in small oak barrels made from selected woods aged for at least 3 years. The wine remains on its lees here for another 6 months, also undergoing malolactic fermentation. No compromises, no concessions: only the wine from the best barrels, out of the 25 base wines of origin, is drawn off to create Annamaria Clementi. A pair of flying tanks transfers the base wines by gravity from the barriques to the blending tank. This is followed by bottling and a very long aging process in contact with the lees, which lasts for more than 8 years to make its profile unique: an absolute Franciacorta. Dégorgement takes place in the absence of oxygen, using a system unique in the world, conceived and patented by Ca’ del Bosco. This avoids oxidative shock and further additions of sulfites, making our Franciacortas purer, more pleasant, and longer-lived. Finally, each bottled wine is uniquely marked to ensure traceability.
Tirage
Aging on the lees
Average duration 8 years.
Taste profile
Dosage Zero.
Dosage at disgorgement
No liqueur added.
Analytical data at disgorgement
Alcohol 13.0% Vol.; pH 3.08; Total Acidity 6.30 grams/liter; Volatile Acidity 0.31 grams/
liter.
Sulfites
Total Sulfur Dioxide less than 63 milligrams/.