Uccellanda Curtefranca DOC

Vineyard and terroir

The 4.14 ha Uccellanda vineyard lies in Terre di Franciacorta, Lombardy, at 300 m above sea level, on one of the area's brightest and sunniest slopes. Its varied soils range from carbonate-rich sandy loam to deep, highly fertile clay-limestone. Warm, sunny summer days alternate with cool nights, allowing the grapes to ripen while retaining acidity; Lake Iseo moderates these day-to-night temperature differences and helps maintain relatively stable conditions throughout the growing season.

Franciacorta is a small, densely hilly area bordered by the Oglio River, the foothills of the Alps, Lake Iseo and the Brescia–Bergamo motorway. Curtefranca DOC occupies the same geographical area as the Franciacorta DOCG sparkling-wine appellation.

Vinification

The grapes are harvested at optimal ripeness. The juice is fermented in small 228 L oak barrels using a traditional, long-established method.

Ageing

The wine matures in oak barrels for 12 months. It is bottled in the second spring after the harvest, then rests for a further six months in the winery's cellars before release.

Tasting profile

Elegant.

Label / history

Several traditions explain the name Franciacorta. One links it to a religious order that lived in the area between the 11th and 13th centuries. The monks called their lands “curtes francae,” translated as “tax-free territory,” because they were exempt from Brescia's taxation laws.

Another account concerns Charlemagne, King of the Franks in the mid-8th century. Before a military campaign against the Lombards, he promised to return in time for Saint Dionigi's Day. When the campaign left him near Rodengo-Saiano on that date, he is said to have proclaimed the area a “miniature France”—Franciacorta—to fulfil his promise.