Sometimes we find ourselves faced with a bottle of sparkling wine whose label bears the word "Millesimato".
Let's try to understand what it means.
The term Millesimato is given to sparkling wines – limiting ourselves to Italian ones – produced from the vinification of grapes from a single vintage (millèsime = vintage year).
On the label, in fact, we will find the term Millesimato and the year of grape harvest.
In general, producers decide to make a Spumante Millesimato – whether a Franciacorta metodo classico or a Prosecco – exclusively in particularly favorable vintages from the standpoint of grape quality.
Normally, common practice among all wine houses that produce sparkling wines is to blend wines from different vineyards, grape varieties, and vintages, known as a Cuvée.
Crafting a good Cuvée requires the cellar master and winemaker to reproduce, year after year, the same distinctive character of the estate – and this is only possible by working with the percentages of the various base wines (Pinot Bianco, Nero, and Chardonnay for the Metodo Classico) and the various vintages available in the cellar.
In conclusion, the choice to produce a spumante millesimato is purely a commercial decision and is not always an indicator of quality that justifies a higher bottle price.
We will aim to provide our winelovers friends with guidance on the world of wine, to help them make informed purchases with a baseline of knowledge –
such as knowing how to read a label and, above all, a back label.
What do you think?
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