Il Mosnel "E.B.B." Extra Brut Franciacorta DOCG 2007 750ML
A tribute to the elegance and style of Emanuela Barzanò Barboglio, founder of Mosnel, produced with the best Chardonnay grapes vinified in small barrels.
This 100% Chardonnay is a classic and refined example of late-release vintage wines. It opens with aromas of spiced apples, warmed brioche, honey-drizzled roasted hazelnuts and pressed yellow flowers. The rich and unctuous palate is layered with orchard and stone fruits, crème fraîche and toasted oak, but all balanced by electric acidity and flinty minerality. — 95 points; Jeff Porter, Wine Enthusiast (March 2024)
Grapes: Chardonnay
Vineyard: East – South/East exposure on morainic soils of medium fertility, with medium-deep gravel-pebble mixture; manual harvest August 2007
Vinification & Aging: The ‘fiore’ (the first fraction of 50% juice) is reserved for EBB. Primary fermentation takes place in small, 225L oak barrels. Ages for 5 months in barrel following fermentation until spring. Wine is blended and bottled with “liqueur de tirage” to promote refermentation in the bottle.
Bottles remain in Mosnel’s 16th- century cellars for 14 and a half years on lees before riddling and disgorgement in 2023. The sediment is then removed and the Extra Brut-style liqueur d’expedition is added, before corking. This Franciacorta then rests in the bottle a further six months before release.
Il Mosnel has been producing wines since 1836, and was one of the first producers of DOC Franciacorta when the appellation was created in the 1960s. The estate was planted to Franciacorta varietals by Emanuela Barboglio, and her children - the fifth generation to inherit the land - now run the operation, along with a team of winemakers and viticulturist.
It boasts a subtle white-gold hue, and a slender, silky bead of pin-point bubbles. A refined aromatic medley of elderflower and hawthorn blossom nuances crisp Mediterranean citrus, pear and apple, apricot and melon, along with subtle impressions of wild herbs and almonds. Crisp fruit and a tangy acidity are gloriously abundant in the mouth, concluding with a finish that is long-lingering, elegant, and beautifully balanced.