Freddy R. Troya

9.5

Ca’ del Bosco “Annamaria Clementi” Franciacorta 2016, Franciacorta DOCG, Lombardy, Italy 🇮🇹

Overview
Prestige cuvée Franciacorta from Ca’ del Bosco, crafted using the traditional method and aged extensively on lees. The blend includes Chardonnay, Pinot Nero, and Pinot Bianco, the latter adding a distinctive Italian identity rarely seen in Champagne. The 2016 vintage shows exceptional balance and refinement, delivering the depth and elegance expected from one of Italy’s most iconic sparkling wines.

Aromas & Flavors
White peach, baked apple, citrus zest, toasted brioche, almond pastry, and delicate floral tones. Subtle hints of honey, lemon curd, and crushed stone emerge with air, giving the wine impressive aromatic complexity.

Mouthfeel
Ultra-fine mousse with a creamy yet energetic texture. Structured and layered with vibrant acidity supporting a deep mid-palate. Long, persistent finish with elegance and precision, prestige cuvée level balance that rivals top Champagne houses.

Food Pairings
Lobster or scallop crudo. Oysters with citrus mignonette. Truffle risotto. Branzino or Dover sole. Aged Parmigiano Reggiano

Verdict
A striking example of Franciacorta at its highest level, refined, expressive, and unmistakably luxurious. The structure and finesse easily evoke comparisons with tête de cuvée Champagne, yet the presence of Pinot Bianco adds a subtle Italian nuance that sets it apart.

Did You Know?
Franciacorta requires longer minimum lees aging than Champagne for vintage wines (at least 30 months for vintage expressions), contributing to the creamy texture and complexity found in prestige cuvées like Annamaria Clementi.

🍷 Personal Pick
Absolutely a “whoa factor” sparkling wine, each glass reveals depth and refinement comparable to top Champagne prestige cuvées, yet with a distinctive Italian signature.
— 23 days ago

Aaron Tan

9.0

Good fun here. As the name suggests, the wine is suppose to evoke memories of Wrigley’s iconic “Juicy Fruit” gum and while I can see how, it doesn’t quite hit the mark for me. The gum usually has a synthetic exotic fruit character to it, which I can’t quite identify (jackfruit comes close), while this wine sported more natural passion fruit and mango exoticism. Other notes include dried apricot, orange zest, ginger, spice, and apple cider vinegar. Frankly, it’s all notes quite typically found in orange wines, especially on the nose, but it’s the palate that took a rather unusual turn for me here - instead of being soft, fuzzy, gripping, and cider-ish like in many orange wines, this was bright, zesty, light, and salty. Yum! While the hallmark orange wine softness and light bitterness was still present in the finish, I felt it just helped to round off the wine, making it so easy to drink for the group, who are mostly accustomed to bigger reds. Finished in no time at all. A one on the binary scale for me!

NB: Introducing the wine gang in Kuching to some skinsies! A pat on the back for me on this choice - not too funky or challenging, while still capturing all the idiosyncrasies of orange wines. Plus it’s a win when everyone enjoyed it. — 4 years ago

Ericsson

9.6

What a year. What a wine to close the year. Margaux magnum. Color is still vibrant. The nose takes time to evoke forest notes, along with dark and red berries, graphite, and hints violet and vanilla. On the palate the wine is incredibly balanced. Dark cherry, plum and cassis predominate but secondary notes of leather and mocha quickly follow. The acidity is palpable. The finish is long with setting flavors of ripe dark fruit. Cheers our evolving palates in 2025. — a year ago

Vino Joe

9.3

Solid effort. Less going on than Francia. Fruit is there but it doesn’t evoke the same texture or body in other offerings from Conterno. I liked it but did not love it - a “Like+” I guess… — 3 years ago

Alder Yarrow

Wine Blogger Vinography

9.5

Many years ago I decided that unlike wine which can so clearly evoke place, sake tasting notes were much more evocative of time - specifically a moment in time and all the atmosphere that comes with it. To wit: one of my favorite sakes this Dassai “23” reminds me of that moment when the year’s first snowfall has completely melted in the next day’s sun. Wonderfully silky notes of rainwater, malted milk, white flowers and cooked taro root linger beautifully with a great purity. The 23 here refers to the fact that the rice has been polished to 23% of its former mass, far in excess of the 50% required by its Daiginjo designation. This is a lot harder than it sounds, and quite a feat when it comes to sake. Sake seduction to be sure. — 5 years ago

S.R.Alexander

9.7

When it comes to Napa Cabernet, there are few and very far between that evoke a visceral emotional response. Dalla Valle is consistently one of those styles. At age 25, this wine was exceptional in its elegance and depth. Excellent balance with fresh dark cherry, tobacco, menthol and some barnyard character. — 6 years ago

with Kim and Eric

Ericsson

9.2

Much less than 1% of wine from the Chianti region is made in the Governo process, a dying art. Only produced to evoke a sense of nostalgia among those from another era… This is my nth time trying it and I don’t feel the nostalgia but only care and dedication behind the process. — 2 years ago

Gladys Xiques

9.1

Minerality. While the wind seems to want to evoke citrus the minerality takes over. — 3 years ago

Brandon Beldengreen-Karas

9.5

HIJACKED Developing deep bass notes of Smokey black fruit punctuated by a charming burst of dried fig in the back of the palate. Potent, voluptuous, and yet very well structured and dry in the finish; tannins are well distributed and evoke a pleasant tingle. With air, curious exotic spices present in the bouquet and once more in the finish - Asian anise, warm roasted peppercorns… and perhaps a kiss of turmeric? Thank you Brandon for sharing. — 4 years ago

Ericsson

9.5

In a wine lovers journey there are a handful of bottles which evoke reflection from the sheer taste… Maybe its history and taste captured in a bottle perfected by time; maybe it is just the moment. Nonetheless this is one of those bottles for me.
…
The color is on par with a nice gold tone and only the last surviving bubbles rising. The nose is opulent with citrus, apple, apricot, almond and toast. The mouthfeel with crisp red apple, orange peel, brioche, almond, and a truffle-like finish which endures. This is vibrant, lush, rich and beautifully aged Champagne.
…
Now, for that reflection part, back in ’98 when the grapes that make up this bottle were ripening I was a young lad from a small town about to graduate high school with too many decisions, plans, and expectations. Albeit, I had never tasted Champagne. Now, where were you back in 1998? — 6 years ago