Innovation

VARIETAL
CRYO-MACERATION

This is an innovative technique that enables the colour to be cold-extracted from Pinot noir. When the destemmed and crushed grapes are about to fall into the press, they are dusted with dry ice, that is, solid carbon dioxide at minus 78 degrees. The dioxide sublimes, in other words, it passes directly from the solid state to the gaseous state without becoming liquid.
The dry ice remains in contact with the grapes for 12/15 hours (depending on the vintage), burns the skin and extracts the colour without producing alcohol, because the low temperature prevents the yeast from activating: fermentation does not start and, as a consequence, nor does the extraction of the tannins.
In hot maceration, the cuticle of the grape pip is also burned along with the skin, from which many very small, sharp tannins are extracted that give the wine more tired, heavier nuances.
This does not happen with cryomaceration: the aromas are finer, fresh and velvety.
Moreover, only the free-run must is used, which comes out of the grape under its own weight, without the need for pressing.

The Riserva Francesco Battista Crio Rosé is the result of a varietal cryomaceration.

VERTICAL EVOLUTION

It is often thought that the most correct way of storing a bottle of wine after disgorging is horizontally because that allows the wine to wet the cork, keeping it damp and firmly adhering to the neck of the bottle.
This is certainly the best way of storing bottles of still wines but not for Franciacorta, in which the pressure of the carbon dioxide against the little cage holding the cork in place allows the bottles to be kept vertical. This ensures the elasticity of the cork and so makes it possible to avoid the direct contact of oxygen with the wine, thereby obtaining a cleaner, fresher and younger product at the organoleptic level.