About this wine
Vineyard and terroir
The grapes came from seven historic vineyards in the Canelle locality surrounding the Ca’ del Bosco winery. The white vines planted in Franciacorta at the time had been supplied under the generic name “Pinot.” Ampelographic work in the late 1980s showed that these plantings were approximately 65% Chardonnay and 35% Pinot Blanc.
Grapes
The 1980 cuvée combined 40% Pinot Noir with 60% of the historical white “Pinot” base wine, corresponding to a final composition of 40% Pinot Noir, 39% Chardonnay and 21% Pinot Blanc.
Vinification
The best bunches of the harvest were pressed manually in an old wooden Marmonier press. Fermentation and élevage continued until the following spring in 205-litre oak pièces, for approximately five months. Tirage took place on 9 February 1981.
Ageing
The wine matured on its lees for an average of 42 years: seven years with bottles lying horizontally and 34 years stacked sur pointe. Bottles are disgorged on request. No liqueur is added at disgorgement, making the wine Dosage Zéro.
Technical data
Alcohol is 12.90% vol., pH 3.03, total acidity 6.10 g/L and volatile acidity 0.37 g/L. Total sulphur dioxide is below 47 mg/L.
Tasting profile
Deep straw yellow with clear golden highlights. The intense nose begins with undergrowth, musk and fern, followed by candied citrus, quince preserve, roasted hazelnut and caramel. With air it develops iodine, beeswax and cedarwood nuances. The palate retains remarkable integrity and intensity, with an almost fleshy creaminess and a powerful aromatic finish.
Vintage notes
The spring of 1980 began cool and slightly rainy, followed by dry conditions at budbreak. More than 200 mm of rain fell during May and June, disrupting flowering, reducing fruit set and causing millerandage. From the second week of July through September, dry summer weather around 30°C restored favourable ripening conditions. Healthy, ripe grapes were harvested on 11–12 September.
Label / history
André Dubois arrived from Champagne in 1979 and laid foundations for what became the Metodo Ca’ del Bosco. From the 1980 vintage came the idea of leaving selected bottles sur pointe for more than four decades. The wine was ultimately released as the concluding expression of the R.S. project—“Recentemente Sboccato”—after related releases in the Vintage Collection and Cuvée Prestige ranges.
