The Cavalleri company has always been linked to Franciacorta, it s a family run business whose goal is to enhance the wines of this area. In order to obtain that, we produce our wines just with the grapes that come from our vineyards, grown in accordance to the principles of organic farming. We are proud to be defined artisans.
The Franciacorta Region Lombardy (Italy)
Franciacorta is one of the world s distinctive sparkling wine regions. The name Franciacorta is taken out from the Benedictine monks, who lived in the region and made in «curte franca» or «free of taxes». This land now boasts wines that are only produced in the «classic method», aged individually bottle by bottle on yeast cells and never made into sparkling wines by carbonation in tanks. Through this noble method of bottle aging, at minimum 24 months, Franciacorta wines enjoy more to obtain character, refine their bubbles and develop a complexity which is truly equal to the majesty and history of the region. «View of the Iseo Lake from our vineyard Pio IX»
Philosophy in the vineyards and works in the cellar We ve always believed that to achieve excellence is necessary to devote more efforts to the vineyards, that only work in the cellar; we believe, and we are not the only one, that to obtain great wines you need to start from great grapes. Our wines are obtained exclusively with grapes from our vineyards, grown in accordance with principles of organic farming, most of whom are in Erbusco. Every single plot has marked distinctive features and our works in the cellar have as only objective the enhancement of this. During the harvest the grapes coming from different plots are pressed separately. The grapes juices are themselves divided into three tranches depending on the pressure of the extraction. The difficult choice of keeping separate the different vineyard both during the alcoholic fermentation both in the following months of aging, allowed the different base to evolve in purity expressing their own characteristics. This allowed our internal tasting commission to create typical cuvee for every Franciacorta, departing from wines that have a good balance.
Our Franciacorta Cru We consider our vineyards the great resource of Cavalleri. An essential starting point of quality, crucial to getting great wines. Each plot as a distinct and strong personality and enhances different characteristics of the soil. We are winegrower, our idea of excellence starts from the ground.
Seradina Located on the hilltop of Erbusco, with excellent exposure to the sun. Despite the low fertility of the soil and steep slopes, the foliage that develops is always very thick. It is therefore necessary to proceed with pruning and green stripping. The bases that we get from this vineyard are worth all the attention we devote to it: freshness and delicacy, combined with an important contributing structure, in most vintages, to enrich our vintage Surface: 2,1225 ha Planting year: 2001 Cultivar: Chardonnay Method of planting: 5000 plants per hectare Average production per hectar: 90 quintals per hectare Row positioning: east-west
Valli della Luna This vineyard, planted in 1980 and purchased by Cavalleri in 2009 is one of the oldest in the company. As Seradina di Sotto, is still pruning with Sylvoz, farming system widely used in the past in Franciacorta. This system, abandoned in the difficulties of working, keeps the grapes more protected from sunlight, producing bases, even in warmer years, maintain a high level of acidity, making it perfect for long-aging wines. Surface: 1,72 ha Planting year: 1980 Cultivar: Chardonnay Method of planting: 3300 plants per hectare Type of planting: Sylvoz Average production per hectar: 60 quintals per hectare Row positioning: east-west
Chiosino Often the wines we got from this plot hold the power of balance when we discuss if this harvest is promising. The influence of the seasons mark the base of Chiosino more than the others vineyard, probably due to a number of factors both the weather and the soil, making its bases ideal to give a twist to our reserves Surface: 3,034 ha Planting year: 1984 Cultivar: Chardonnay Method of planting: 3300 plants per hectare Average production per hectar: 60 quintals per hectare Row positioning: east-west
Principe After the excellent results obtained in the '90s with the Pinot Noir from Bolesine, it was decided to extend the area of vineyard with Cultivar Pinot Noir. It has been chosen this plot of approximately 1.5 acres, located on top of a hill from which you can see from one side the town of Erbusco and from the other the Iseo lake. The growth of vines was particularly difficult and, today, despite having spent 5 years of age, the plants are still not particularly vigorous. The ungenerous soil, limited water supply (with problems of drought in warmer vintages), give rise to a very low production of grapes of excellent quality. Surface: 1,6 ha Planting year: 2005 Cultivar: Pinot Noir Method of planting: 500 plants per hectare Average production per hectar: 80 quintals per hectare Row positioning: north-south
Family Style «Purchase act of our Cru Rampaneto, 1842» The Cavalleri family has owned land in Erbusco since 1450, as evidenced by a deed preserved in the family archive. This act shows a structure suitable for a production winery already important at the time, although until 1967, the year of recognition of Franciacorta DOC, white wines and red wines produced were sold in bulk. «Attilio Cavalleri with his family (Gian Paolo is the kid on the right) in front of the old family house, 1908»
After the advent of Disciplinare del Franciacorta we started to bottle: from 1968 are the first bottles of wine labeled and in the same year the company acquired its present name "Gian Paolo e Giovanni Cavalleri". Gian Paolo e Giovanni, father and son, were taking care of the winery in that moment. Together they realized the new cellar, leaving the historical properties within the family mansion, today the city hall of Erbusco. In the new winery were produced in 1979 the first 6000 bottles of Franciacorta. «Giovanni Cavalleri»
In all these years the family, Maria and Giulia, daughters of Giovanni, joined the company and lately also grandchildren Francesco and Diletta, with the cooperation of the sales manager Aldo Pagnoni and the winemaker Giampaolo Turra, developed with care and commitment the original plan: become a reference company, able to be recognized between the others wines for its own peculiar style.
Always supporters of the potential of the Blanc des Blancs, we produce our Franciacorta exclusively from Chardonnay grapes from our vineyards, continuing to prefer to the volumes the research of quality and the higher expression of our Cru.
Latest Awards Collezione Esclusiva 1999: Best Italian Sparkling (Gambero Rosso) Au Contraire 2001: Tre Bicchieri (Gambero Rosso) Collezione Esclusiva Giovanni Cavalleri 2001: Tre Bicchieri (Gambero Rosso) Pas Dosè Recemment Degorgè 2006: Slow Wine (Slow Food) Collezione Grandi Cru 2005: Tre Bicchieri (Gambero Rosso) Collezione Esclusiva Giovanni Cavalleri 2004: Tre Bicchieri (Gambero Rosso) Collezione Esclusiva Giovanni Cavalleri 2004: Excellence Wine (l Espresso) Collezione Esclusiva Giovanni Cavalleri 2004: 5 Spheres (Sparkle) Pas Dosè 2007: Tre Bicchieri (Gambero Rosso) Collezione Grandi Cru 2007: Excellent Wine (Slow Food) Collezione Esclusiva Giovanni Cavalleri 2005: Tre Bicchieri (Gambero Rosso) Collezione Esclusiva Giovanni Cavalleri 2005: Excellence Wine (l Espresso) Collezione Esclusiva Giovanni Cavalleri 2005: 5 Grapes (Bibenda)