DOCG Franciacorta / DOC CurtefrancaChardonnay, Pinot Nero, Pinot Bianco52 haFounded 1985Biatta family (Loris Biatta with children Andrea and Alice)Passirano
Founded in 1985 by Giovanni Biatta, today run by his son Loris with grandchildren Andrea and Alice. The 52-hectare Passirano estate produces around 550,000 bottles of Franciacorta DOCG a year across 13 labels.
Tasting: Visit by appointment to the modernised Passirano cellar, vineyard walk and a flight of Brut, Satèn, Rosé and Riserva Secolo Novo. English and Spanish spoken.
Signature wines: le-marchesine-brut, le-marchesine-saten, le-marchesine-rose, le-marchesine-secolo-novo, le-marchesine-pas-dose
Tip: Le Marchesine's Satèn is a strong by-the-glass benchmark for the category in Brescia and Milan restaurants; the cellar door flight pairs it with the Pas Dosé.
DOCG Franciacorta / DOC CurtefrancaChardonnay, Pinot Nero, Pinot Bianco, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot24 haFounded 1985Paladin family (Casa Paladin group)Coccaglio
Castello Bonomi sits at the foot of Monte Orfano in Coccaglio, the limestone ridge that marks the appellation's southern boundary. The estate's 24 terraced hectares are owned by the Paladin family of Veneto's Casa Paladin group, who acquired the property in 2008. The chateau structure and terraced rows are the appellation's most chateau-styled visit experience.
Tasting: Visit by appointment to the chateau at the foot of Monte Orfano, terraced-vineyard walk and a flight of CruPerdu, Lucrezia, Satèn and Castello Bonomi Riserva. The historic villa hosts the tasting.
Signature wines: castello-bonomi-cuperdu, castello-bonomi-lucrezia, castello-bonomi-saten, castello-bonomi-riserva, castello-bonomi-curtefranca-rosso
Tip: CruPerdu (the single-vineyard Chardonnay) is the headline bottling; the Riserva is the long-lees library option.
DOCG Franciacorta / DOC CurtefrancaChardonnay, Pinot Nero, Pinot Bianco38 haFounded 1960Bianchi familyORGANIC CERTIFIEDMonticelli Brusati
The Bianchi family began restoring the medieval hamlet at Monticelli Brusati in 1960; since 1978 the cellar has produced only single-vintage Franciacorta Millesimato. 38 planted hectares across a 100-hectare estate, around 300,000 bottles a year across 14 labels. The medieval hamlet and underground galleries form the agriturismo and visit space.
Tasting: Visit by appointment to the restored medieval hamlet, with cellar tour through the underground galleries, vineyard walk and a flight focused on the cellar's Millesimato-only range: Cuvette, Bokè, Diamant and Emozione Riserva. The on-site agriturismo offers room+meal+visit packages.
Signature wines: villa-franciacorta-cuvette, villa-franciacorta-boke, villa-franciacorta-diamant, villa-franciacorta-emozione-riserva, villa-franciacorta-saten
Tip: Every bottle here is single-vintage Millesimato; ask for a side-by-side comparison of three current-release vintages to read the house style.
DOCG Franciacorta / DOC CurtefrancaChardonnay, Pinot Nero, Pinot Bianco70 haFounded 1987Bozza family (Vittorio, Gian Carlo and Alberto Bozza)Monticelli Brusati
Founded by the three Bozza brothers (Vittorio, Gian Carlo and Alberto) at Monticelli Brusati. The 17th-century residence on the property was built in 1620 by Benedetto Montini, an ancestor of Pope Paul VI (Giovanni Battista Montini). The 70-hectare estate has 8,000 square metres of underground cellars and produces around 450,000 bottles a year.
Tasting: Visit by appointment to the 17th-century residence (built 1620 by Benedetto Montini, an ancestor of Pope Paul VI) and the 8,000 square metre underground cellar, with a flight of Brut, Satèn, Rosé and Baiana Pas Dosé.
Signature wines: la-montina-brut, la-montina-saten, la-montina-rose, la-montina-baiana-pas-dose, la-montina-riserva-blanc-de-noirs
Tip: The contemporary art collection inside the cellars is part of the visit; allow extra time for the Festa dell'Uva October open-cellar weekend.
DOCG Franciacorta / DOC CurtefrancaChardonnay, Pinot Nero30 haFounded 1974Monique Poncelet (Gussalli Beretta family)ORGANIC CERTIFIEDMonticelli Brusati
Lo Sparviere is the Franciacorta property of the Gussalli Beretta family (also owners of the Beretta firearms house). The 60-hectare estate centred on a 16th-century country villa has 30 hectares planted to vine, farmed organically since 2013 on limestone-marl soils that producers consider distinct from the moraine substrates further south.
Tasting: Visit by appointment to the 16th-century country villa, vineyard walk through the limestone-marl slopes and a flight of Brut, Extra Brut, Satèn, Rosé and Riserva. English spoken.
Signature wines: lo-sparviere-brut, lo-sparviere-extra-brut, lo-sparviere-saten, lo-sparviere-rose, lo-sparviere-riserva
Tip: Ask for the Riserva Dosaggio Zero in the library flight; the cellar's limestone-marl signature shows most clearly at low dosage.
DOCG Franciacorta / DOC CurtefrancaChardonnay, Pinot Nero, Pinot Bianco22 haFounded 1974Lantieri de Paratico familyORGANIC CERTIFIEDCapriolo
The Lantieri de Paratico noble family has documented Franciacorta viticulture going back to the 10th century; the modern bottle-fermented sparkling operation dates to 1974. 22 hectares of organic-farmed vines on the Capriolo slopes. The Arcadia Riserva is the cellar's long-lees prestige bottling.
Tasting: Visit by appointment to the noble-family estate at Capriolo, with a vineyard walk through the organic-farmed parcels and a flight of Brut, Satèn, Rosé and Arcadia Riserva. The family's documented Franciacorta viticulture history is part of the visit narrative.
Signature wines: lantieri-arcadia-riserva, lantieri-saten, lantieri-extra-brut, lantieri-rose, lantieri-brut-millesimato
Tip: The family-history room is worth the extra 20 minutes if you book a longer slot.
