Gentle bubbles and refreshing acidity swang back and forth on the palate playing the contrast game. The citrus notes were leading both in aroma and flavors. \n \n Producer Information \n Barone Pizzini is a wine producer based in Franciacorta in the Italian region of Lombardy. The estate specializes in high-quality sparkling wines, producing a range of labels and wines including Satèn, Rosé, Nature, Pas Dose and Brut Franciacorta. In 1870, brothers Enrico and Bernardino Pizzini Piomarta von Thurberg founded the Pizzini Farming Company. Nearly a century later, in 1967, Barone Pizzini became one of the first wineries to belong to the newly created Franciacorta DOC. It released its first vintage of Barone Pizzini Franciacorta in 1971. Today, the estate's vineyards stretch over a total of 47 hectares (116 acres), divided between 25 sites. The vines are on average 15-20 years old, and are planted on sites with varying exposures and soil types. Barone Pizzini employs organic farming methods in its vineyards and was among the first Franciacorta producers to do so in 1998. Chardonnay forms the basis of much of the Barone Pizzini portfolio and is used exclusively in the production of its Satèn label. Pinot Noir is also blended with Chardonnay to make the estate's Rosé, Nature, Pas Dose and Brut Franciacorta wines, as well as the flagship non-vintage Animante label. Animante is made from a blend of predominantly Chardonnay, with Pinot Nero and Pinot Blanc. The grapes are harvested from the Provaglio d'Iseo, Passirano, Corte Franca and Adro vineyards, lightly pressed and then fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. Once fermentation is complete, the wine ages in stainless steel tanks for six months and spends a further 20-30 months bottle aging in contact with its lees. In addition to its sparkling wines, Barone Pizzini makes a range of still red and white Curtefranca wines, as well as a single Sebino IGT wine. In 2002, Barone Pizzini founded Pievalta in the Marche (producing the flagship Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi wines) and also owns Poderi di Ghiaccioforte in Scansano, in the heart of Tuscany's coastal Maremma region. Barone Pizzini also boasts nine hectares (22 acres) of organic vineyard at the Cascina Colombaroli estate in the Montenetto di Brescia IGT zone just south of Brescia town.
