2019 Ca del Bosco Franciacorta Vintage Collection Dosage Zéro DOCG, Erbusco Lombardy

A complex profile of crayon, baked apples, strawberries and violets, not without minerality. Fine mousse on the palate, persistent and integrated with sharp acidity, medium body and precise length. Polished and complex finish. Drinkable now but best with one more year of bottle aging.

95 points jamessuckling.com

Ca’ del Bosco Cuvée Annamaria Clementi Dosage Zéro is the purest expression of Franciacorta from one of Italy’s most revered sparkling wine producers. Made without any dosage at disgorgement, this prestige cuvée reveals the unfiltered soul of the vintage and terroir. It is precise, complex and austere in the most refined and confident way — a wine crafted not to charm with sugar, but to astonish with clarity and depth.

As with all Ca’ del Bosco wines, the fruit undergoes the winery’s meticulous “berry spa” process before fermentation. The base wine is fermented in small oak barrels and aged on lees for more than eight years in bottle, developing extraordinary texture and complexity. The blend usually includes Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco and Pinot Nero from estate-grown vineyards, all farmed organically and picked by hand.

The nose is pristine and savoury, offering crushed oyster shell, flint, lemon zest, dried white flowers, marzipan and subtle brioche. On the palate it’s razor-sharp and textural, with green apple, toasted hazelnut, saline minerality and a persistent line of acidity that stretches through the long, dry finish. There’s no softness here — only detail, tension and immense purity.

Food pairing: ideal with oysters, sashimi, grilled scampi, or delicate seafood crudo. Also excellent with alpine cheeses, salt-baked fish or light poultry dishes with citrus and herbs.

Cellar potential: drinking beautifully now but will evolve over the next 10 to 15 years, developing savoury, nutty and tertiary complexity while holding its core of minerality.