Annamaria Clementi 2009 by Ca’ del Bosco is the “Best Italian Sparkling Wine” 2019

The announcement was made a few weeks ago, but the prize-giving ceremony only came yesterday evening, when the most important awards of the “Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships” 2019 were unveiled in London, during the most prestigious competition dedicated to sparkling wines, conceived by Tom Stevenson, an international authority in the sector, which crowned, for the third time, Ferrari, leader of Trentodoc, as “Sparkling Wine Producer of the Year”, while his enologist, Ruben Larentis, received the “Lifetime Achievement Award”.
But it doesn’t end there, because Italy is also winning special prizes, starting obviously with the “Best Italian Sparkling Wine” 2019, which went to the magnum Franciacorta Annamaria Clementi 2009 by Ca’ del Bosco, one of the greatest interpretations of the territory, which also won the “Best Franciacorta”. Important awards, because, as Maurizio Zanella, at the head of the Franciacorta label, tells WineNews, “our territory and our wines need to create an adequate demand among consumers: if traders already know and appreciate Franciacorta, the judgment of the critics, and the resulting awards, have a fundamental value, and show that we are working in the right direction, that of quality and the enhancement of our peculiarities. We are relatively young - continues Zanella - we still lack tradition and culture to be able to compare ourselves to realities like that of Champagne, let’s say that today Franciacorta expresses 75% of its potential”. With the aim, Maurizio Zanella continues, “in the next 10-20 years, to develop the full potential of a territory that, although lacking in experience, has learned to reduce the gap by working on innovation. Not having had examples to follow slavishly, in this sense, has left us the full freedom to experiment and innovate, and if there is still something missing in the vineyard, in the cellar today the vigneron of Champagne are those to draw on our technologies”.
Returning to the awards, in the World Champion, the Belpaese has also excelled in the categories “Sparkling Aromatic Wine” 2019 with the Asti Cuvage by Acquesi, “Sparkling Red Wine” 2019 with the Lambrusco Reggiano Il Campanone 2018 by Lombardini, “Classic Rosé” 2019 with Ferrari’s Perlé Rosé 2013, “Classic Blanc de Noirs” 2019 with Ferrari’s Perlé Nero 2010 in magnum and “Classic Brut Non-Vintage Blend” 2019 with Franciacorta Brut by Lantieri de Paratico. However, the “Supreme World Champion” 2019 was the magnum of Dom Pérignon 2004 Brut, the winner of “The Chairman’s Trophy” 2019 was the magnum of Palmer & Co 2003 Grands Terroirs, while “The Tony Jordan Rising Star Trophy” 2019 was the magnum of Midalidare Thracian Lowlands (Bulgaria), the “Library Vintage” 2019 at the magnum of Louis Roederer 1995 Cristal Rosé Vinotheque, the “Classic Blanc de Blancs” 2019 was the magnum of Palmer & Co Blanc de Blancs and the “Classic Brut Vintage Blend” 2019 was the magnum of Louis Roederer 2012 Brut Vintage.
In total, 185 gold medals and 212 silver medals were awarded, with wines from 18 countries and, for the first time, Italy surpassed France: 71 gold medals for the Belpaese against 61 of the French, and 89 silver medals against 44. And, as evidence of the growth of Italian sparkling wine, there are many names in Italy, from Trentodoc itself, which in addition to Ferrari has won gold medals with wineries such as Rotari, Maso Martis, Letrari, Cantina Rotaliana, Cantina d'Isera, Toblino, to name a few, to Franciacorta, with Cà del Bosco, Guido Berlucchi, Fratelli Berlucchi, Corte Aura, Bosco del Merlo, Castel Faglia, Uberti, Turra, Quadra, Il Mosnel or Ferghettina, among others, or Prosecco Doc, with brands such as Bosco del Merlo, and Docg, with brands such as Villa Sandi and Nino Franco, not to mention the world of Lambrusco, with realities such as Albinea Canali, Cantina Santa Croce and Cleto Chiarli, to name but a few. Supporters of Italian bubbles that increasingly focus on quality.