Ca' del Bosco

In Erbusco, in the Franciacorta region of Lombardy, south of Lake Iseo, the Ca' del Bosco winery is regarded as the driving force behind the region’s transformation into Italy’s most prestigious sparkling wine appellation. Founded by the Zanella family, it currently covers an area of 248 hectares and produces 1.8 million bottles a year.

History

The story begins in 1964, when Annamaria Clemente Zanella bought a modest house in the hills of Erbusco, known simply as Ca’ del Bosco, ‘the house in the woods’. The first vineyard was planted in 1968 under the guidance of Franco Ziliani of Guido Berlucchi. When Maurizio Zanella, Annamaria’s son, turned 16, he persuaded his father to take out a loan of 160 million lire to build a fully-fledged winery and launch the production of a sparkling wine capable of rivalling Champagne.

The first sparkling wines were released in December 1978. In 1981, under the guidance of the legendary American winemaker André Chelishchev, Maurizio created the first vintage of a red wine from a Bordeaux blend, which now bears his name. Later, Ca’ del Bosco became part of the Gruppo Santa Margherita, headed by the Marzotto family, whilst Maurizio remained president. Winemaker Stefano Capelli, who worked at the company for 33 years, shaped the estate’s technical identity.

Vineyards and terroir

248 hectares of vineyards are situated on the glacial moraines of Franciacorta, stony soils with good drainage and significant daily temperature fluctuations. The vine planting density is 10,000 vines per hectare, an innovation introduced by the estate’s first manager, Antonio Gandossi, which was rare in Italy at the time. All vineyards are cultivated according to organic farming principles. Since 2008, every harvested bunch has passed through a special berry cleaning system, a washing and drying process designed to remove traces of copper, mould, dust and insects.

Grape varieties

For Franciacorta: Chardonnay, Pinot Nero and Pinot Bianco. For still red wines: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Pinot Nero and Carmenère.

Winemaking

All Franciacorta wines are produced using the traditional method with secondary fermentation in the bottle. Ca’ del Bosco has developed its own, stricter internal protocol, known as the ‘metodo Ca’ del Bosco’, which goes beyond the already stringent rules of the Franciacorta DOCG. The estate emphasises low dosage, extended ageing on the lees and vintage wines where possible.

Wines

The core of the Franciacorta range consists of Cuvée Prestige, now produced in numbered series, the Vintage Collection and, at the top of the range, Cuvée Annamaria Clementi, the flagship prestige cuvée, named after the founder and produced only in the best vintages.

Among the still wines are the red Maurizio Zanella, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot from six certified organic vineyards; Pinéro, a red wine made from 100% Pinot Nero; and Carmenero, a 100% Carmenère.