When the yeasts have finished consuming the sugars, the true ageing period begins. It all takes place in our historic cellar, a place with no direct light and with a controlled temperature of around fourteen degrees.
During the ageing period the wine never stops refining its sensory qualities and its perlage. Franciacorta regulations provide for at least eighteen months of ageing, but for the most prestigious Berlucchi lines, such as the Riserva Palazzo Lana, the process lasts as long as ten years.
At the end of the ageing period, each bottle is turned upside down and rotated with a well-defined rhythm so that the yeast residues slide towards the entrance of the neck, in contact with the cap.
DiscoverDescribing the Berlucchi vineyards as wonderful and poetic does not do them justice. To paint a true picture of this unique place, we also need to include research and innovation.
Harvesting is done strictly by hand, using small cases to transport the bunches of grapes. This ensures our precious treasure arrives intact for pressing.
Delicacy is the key word that describes the separation process by which we obtain the raw material from which everything else follows: the must.
The must is transformed into wine in a temperature-controlled environment using a reduced amount of sulphites: less than 50% of the quantity permitted by organic regulations.
This is a delicate procedure that can only be performed by expert oenologists. It’s all about creating the desired result by blending wines from different fermentations.
After the addition of yeast and sugar, the cuvée is bottled and finally stoppered. The yeasts feed on the sugar and produce carbon dioxide: this is how our beloved “bubbles” are created.
When the yeasts have consumed all the sugars, the bottles begin ageing in the historic cellar. Here they rest for a minimum of eighteen months up to a maximum of ten years.
At the end of the ageing period, each bottle is turned upside down and rotated with a well-defined rhythm so that the yeast residues slide towards the entrance of the neck, in contact with the cap.
The inverted bottles go through a process that freezes the necks only. The residues thus remain attached to the cap. Then the bottle is uncorked, and the frozen residue expelled. The small loss of wine is then replaced with Franciacorta selected by the oenologist.
Finally the permanent cork is inserted and the labels affixed. But it doesn’t end there, because now the bottle is left to rest again for a period of three months to a year.