Sparkling wine is one of the great pleasures in life. Sadly, there are only a few wine regions that really truly do a spectacular bubbly. In Italy, Franciacorta is such a place. For the past decade, this wine region in Lombardy has been pushing the envelope on quality controls, and it shows.
The palate of this wine is strikingly similar to a grand cru blanc de blanc from Champagne. Layered notes of toasted pine nuts, lemon oil, and custard. Carbonation brings a rustic marzipan and old hay element that passes into dried fruit and cinnamon on the palate. The finish moved to earthy tones and fresh fruit.
For pairings, a simple fruit compote with puff pastry would be a lovely match. These bubbles also work very well with decadent cheeses like Delice de Bourgogne.