DOCG FranciacortaChardonnay, Pinot Nero5 haFounded 1998ORGANIC CERTIFIEDCorte Franca
Founded in 1998 at Nigoline Bonomelli in the Corte Franca commune near Lake Iseo. The 5-hectare estate is shaped like a south-facing crescent, hence the dialect name Fiòca (scythe). Around 40,000 bottles a year across 13 labels under organic farming.
Tasting: Visit by appointment to the small Corte Franca cellar near Lake Iseo, with a flight of Brut, Satèn, Rosé and Pas Dosé. Organic farming.
Signature wines: la-fioca-brut, la-fioca-saten, la-fioca-rose, la-fioca-pas-dose, la-fioca-extra-brut
Tip: The small annual production means the cellar door is the easiest place to taste current releases; the Nigoline Bonomelli setting works well as a brief stop between Berlucchi and Bellavista.
DOCG FranciacortaChardonnay, Pinot Nero12 haFounded 1994ORGANIC CERTIFIEDCologne
Family-run Cologne cellar founded in 1994 on the western Monte Orfano slopes. 12 hectares of organic-farmed vineyards, around 40,000 bottles a year across 7 labels.
Tasting: Visit by appointment to the small Cologne cellar on the Monte Orfano slopes, with a flight of Brut, Satèn, Rosé and Riserva. Organic farming throughout.
Signature wines: turra-brut, turra-saten, turra-rose, turra-riserva, turra-pas-dose
Tip: Turra's small production gives the cellar door a personal feel; pair it with Quadra around the corner for a half-day on the Cologne side.
DOCG FranciacortaChardonnay, Pinot Nero60 haFounded 1999Muratori family (Fratelli Muratori SS)ORGANIC CERTIFIEDAdro
Tenuta Villa Crespia is the Muratori family's original Franciacorta brand, today produced at the Muratori cellar on Via Valli in Adro. The Villa Crespia line emphasises single-soil-type bottlings across the consortium's six vocational units. Roughly 60 hectares of organic vineyards contribute to the line.
Tasting: Visit shared with Muratori at the Adro gravity-fed cellar; the Villa Crespia line was the Muratori family's original Franciacorta brand and remains available in the tasting flight as a single-soil-type expression of the Chardonnay base.
Signature wines: villa-crespia-brut, villa-crespia-saten, villa-crespia-rose, villa-crespia-millesimato, villa-crespia-pas-dose
Tip: The Villa Crespia line is poured alongside the Muratori reserve range in the cellar's standard visit; ask for the Cisiolo single-soil bottling in particular.
DOCG Franciacorta / DOC Curtefranca / IGT SebinoChardonnay, Pinot Nero, Pinot Bianco, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Carmenere253 haFounded 1968Maurizio ZanellaBiodynamic PracticingICEAErbusco
Founded in 1968 by Maurizio Zanella, who built a single house in a chestnut wood at Erbusco into a 253-hectare traditional-method sparkling cellar.
Tasting: Cellar visit by appointment with the Ca' del Bosco Method walkthrough (grape washing, contactless press, Hall of the Wines, Bocchi sculpture park), then a guided flight of the Cuvée Prestige, Vintage Collection, Annamaria Clementi and a Curtefranca red. Reservation required.
Signature wines: ca-del-bosco-cuvee-prestige, ca-del-bosco-annamaria-clementi, ca-del-bosco-vintage-collection-satèn, ca-del-bosco-vintage-collection-rose, ca-del-bosco-maurizio-zanella
Tip: Book the Annamaria Clementi flight (the prestige cuvée named for Maurizio's mother) to taste 8-plus years on lees side-by-side with the Vintage Collection.
DOCG Franciacorta / DOC CurtefrancaChardonnay, Pinot Nero, Pinot Bianco209 haFounded 1977Vittorio Moretti family (Terra Moretti Vino)Erbusco
Founded in 1977 by Vittorio Moretti, today led by his daughter Francesca Moretti as winemaker for the Terra Moretti Vino group. 209 hectares of Chardonnay, Pinot Nero and Pinot Bianco across the moraine ridge above Erbusco; the cellar produces around 1.7 million bottles a year across 13 labels. Bellavista, Contadi Castaldi and the L'Albereta resort form the core Terra Moretti Franciacorta footprint.
Tasting: Guided visit through the Bellavista cellars at Via Bellavista, vineyard walk on the moraine ridge above the village, and a tasting of Alma Cuvée Brut, Satèn, Pas Operé and Vittorio Moretti Riserva. The L'Albereta hotel restaurant pairs estate wines with the Cabaret menu. Reservation required.
Signature wines: bellavista-alma-cuvee-brut, bellavista-satèn, bellavista-pas-opere, bellavista-riserva-vittorio-moretti, bellavista-meraviglioso
Tip: The Vittorio Moretti Riserva (only released in vintages of exceptional acidity, minimum 84 months on lees) is the bottle to ask for in the library flight.
DOCG FranciacortaChardonnay, Pinot Nero, Pinot Bianco515 haFounded 1961Ziliani family (Cristina, Arturo and Paolo Ziliani, children of Franco Ziliani)Corte Franca
Founded in 1961 when Franco Ziliani, then a young oenologist working for the Berlucchi family at Palazzo Lana, made the first Italian bottle-fermented sparkling on the Champagne method.
Tasting: Guided cellar visit through Palazzo Lana Berlucchi, the 16th-century palazzo where Franco Ziliani made the first Italian traditional-method sparkling in 1961. The visit covers the historic cellars and the 1961 vintage room, followed by a flight including '61 Nature, Cuvée Imperiale Brut and Palazzo Lana Riserva.
Signature wines: berlucchi-61-nature, berlucchi-61-rose, berlucchi-cuvee-imperiale-brut, berlucchi-palazzo-lana-riserva, berlucchi-max-rose
Tip: Ask for the '61 Nature in the tasting flight: the cuvée name marks the 1961 founding vintage and is the closest thing the cellar offers to a direct lineage taste.
