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Guido Berlucchi Franciacorta Extra Brut ’61 NV 750ml
OUT OF STOCK
Sample image only.Please see Item description for product Information. When ordering, the item shipped will match the product listing if there are any discrepancies. Do not order solely on the label if you feel it does not match product description.
SKU 916907
$34.50/bottle
Out of stock
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Clean and simple, this has a tight nose of green apples and lime flowers. Large yet soft bubbles, refreshing acidity and lean body with a fruity finish.
The sparkling wines of Champagne have been revered by wine drinkers for hundreds of years, and even today they maintain their reputation for excellence of flavor and character, and are consistently associated with quality, decadence, and a cause for celebration. Their unique characteristics are partly due to the careful blending of a small number of selected grape varietals, most commonly Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. These grapes, blended in fairly equal quantities, give the wines of Champagne their wonderful flavors and aromas, with the Pinot Noir offering length and backbone, and the Chardonnay varietal giving its acidity and dry, biscuity nature. It isn't unusual to sometimes see Champagne labeled as 'blanc de blanc', meaning it is made using only Chardonnay varietal grapes, or 'blanc de noir', which is made solely with Pinot Noir.
Country
Italy
There are few countries in the world with a viticultural history as long or as illustrious as that claimed by Italy. Grapes were first being grown and cultivated on Italian soil several thousand years ago by the Greeks and the Pheonicians, who named Italy 'Oenotria' – the land of wines – so impressed were they with the climate and the suitability of the soil for wine production. Of course, it was the rise of the Roman Empire which had the most lasting influence on wine production in Italy, and their influence can still be felt today, as much of the riches of the empire came about through their enthusiasm for producing wines and exporting it to neighbouring countries. Since those times, a vast amount of Italian land has remained primarily for vine cultivation, and thousands of wineries can be found throughout the entire length and breadth of this beautiful country, drenched in Mediterranean sunshine and benefiting from the excellent fertile soils found there. Italy remains very much a 'land of wines', and one could not imagine this country, its landscape and culture, without it.
Region
Lombardy
The beautiful north westerly wine region of Lombardy in Italy is home to many of the country's most characterful and well respected wines, most of which are grown on the shores of the stunning Lake Garda. The lake itself plays a vitally important part of the region's viticulture, as the climate around the river is cooler than in surrounding areas, thus tempering the heat of the vineyards and allowing the vines which grow there to ripen more slowly. For centuries, Lombardy wines have been considered amongst the finest in Italy, and today, the wine industry of the region is doing very well indeed. With wineries in Lombardy utilizing a successful blend of traditional and modern techniques, they are continually producing wines which express the excellence of the terroir the vines are grown on, and which contain fascinating and unique flavors and aromas.
Appellation
Franciacorta
JS92pts
James Suckling
Clean and simple, this has a tight nose of green apples and lime flowers. Large yet soft bubbles, refreshing acidity and lean body with a fruity finish.
VM92pts
Vinous Media
The NV Franciacorta Extra Brut '61 is lifted and airy, with a cascade of chamomile and mint complementing white peaches. It's loaded with zesty tension as a saline-infused wave of soft bubbles ushers in gobs of sour citrus and melon tones. Fresh to the very end, this leaves the mouth watering with a saline sensation that adds a truly gastronomic quality. (Lot: 0392/24K2R424U)
WS91pts
Wine Spectator
This fresh Franciacorta is lightly chalky and fine in texture, with an aromatic apple blossom overtone to its well-meshed mix of white cherry, nectarine, pink grapefruit peel and salted almond. Very sippable. Chardonnay and Pinot Nero. Disgorged 2023. Drink now. 36,000 cases made, 2,200 cases imported.
WA90pts
Wine Advocate
This is an ample production of nearly half a million bottles. A blend of 85% Chardonnay and 15% Pinot Nero (with 24 months on the lees in bottle), the Guido Berlucchi NV Franciacorta '61 Extra Brut is clean and sharp, and the wine offers a good amount of bread or sourdough to elevate the bouquet. There is some fruit, but it is mild and tends to stick to citrus and apple. The palate shows more dimension with a spot of white pepper and orange peel.
DC90pts
Decanter
Packed with ripe citrus, peach, apricot and plentiful brioche, toast and spice character on a broad palate with frothy mousse. (Silver) - DWWA 2025
Winery Notes
For those in search of a true classic, here is a wine that works both as an aperitif and throughout a meal. It will bring out the flavours of a variety of dishes, from rice and pasta to white meats or fresh and medium-aged cheeses, without ever overpowering them. It goes well with a number of traditional Franciacorta recipes, from casoncelli (stuffed ravioli) to lake fish (perch and char).
