2016 Barone Pizzini Bagnadore Riserva Dosage Zero Franciacorta 750 ml

We’ve long been huge fans of Franciacorta, Italy’s answer to Champagne. And just in case you wondered where exactly Franciacorta fits onto the world stage, look at the 2016 Barone Pizzini Bagnadore.

It's a calling-card bottling from one of Italy’s greatest sparkling wine producers—and it’s right at home with the world’s best—tying 2016 Louis Roederer Cristal ($341) and 2016 Gusbourne 51° Traditional Method as Wine Enthusiast’s Top 2016-Vintage Sparklers with 98 points.

A blend of organically farmed Chardonnay and Pinot Nero (Noir), it was given a no-expense spared treatment in the cellar, aging for six years in the bottle before release. Now, nearly a decade after harvest, this bone-dry bubbly is drinking beautifully. 

Franciacorta is Italy’s most prestigious sparkling wine region, and Barone Pizzini one of its most famed producers. Indeed, they often make James Suckling’s top-rated wine in the category. They were the first organically farmed Franciacorta estate, converting all the way back in 1997. They believe that the extra effort in the vineyard translates to higher-quality raw materials and therefore more exciting, complex wines.

The Bagnadore bottling, made only in top vintages, hails from a three-hectare vineyard heavy in glacial soils. The site is surrounded by forest, which moderates the temperature, and after harvest, the grapes are pressed and fermented in stainless steel barrels. Then the wine gets a long 60–70 month rest in bottle. The dosage, as the label suggests, is zero. 

Age gives this wine its fantastic character, deepening the flavors to contrast with the lean nature of the non-dosed wine. It’s a bubbly to pour alongside fine meals, or as a luxurious aperitif. Showing aromas of lemon peel, green apple skin, toasted hazelnut, and crushed oyster shells, plus a lean yet elegant palate, it’s a bottle that deserves to be compared with the very best. Given the pedigree, given the score, you really can’t go wrong.