Alessandra Divella NiNì Chardonnay Pinot Noir 2020

Alessandra Divella farms two hectares of vines in Gussago, a village at the northeastern edge of Franciacorta in Lombardy. A first-generation vigneron, she took on a 30-year lease of these vineyards—planted to Chardonnay (1.5 hectares) and Pinot Noir (0.5 hectares)—with the goal of producing artisanal traditional method sparkling wines that express her specific corner of the region.

The vineyards sit at 350 meters elevation on limestone and clay soils distinct from those found elsewhere in Franciacorta. Alessandra Divella farms organically, though without certification. She avoids systematic treatments and herbicides entirely, using only copper, sulfur, and Cuban zeolite when necessary. Cover crops grow between the rows, and her aim is to eventually transition toward permaculture practices.

In the cellar, Alessandra Divella takes a non-interventionist approach aligned with natural winemaking principles. Fermentation proceeds spontaneously with indigenous yeasts in cement tanks and used barriques. The base wines age in older oak before tirage, and the finished sparkling wines rest on their lees for extended periods—typically between two and five years depending on the cuvée. All bottles leave the cellar without dosage, allowing the wines to express their terroir without added sugar. Sulfite levels remain below 34 mg/l.

Alessandra Divella chooses not to label her wines under the Franciacorta DOCG, believing that Gussago's unique soils and her handcrafted methods produce wines distinctly different from the broader appellation. Her cuvées carry personal names: Clo Clo honors her Swiss mother Claudia, NiNì her Italian father, and Dady her favorite aunt. Both parents are academics, and Alessandra draws on their influence in her meticulous, detail-oriented approach.

Annual production totals approximately 7,000 bottles—small-batch sparkling wines that have earned comparisons to grower Champagne for their precision, minerality, and uncompromising purity.

Franciacorta sits in Lombardy, northern Italy, between Lake Iseo to the north and the city of Brescia to the south. The region earned DOCG status in 1995 for its traditional method sparkling wines—Italy's answer to Champagne. Vineyards spread across morainic hills shaped by ancient glaciers that descended from the Alps, depositing mineral-rich sediments as they retreated.

Gussago occupies the northeastern corner of the Franciacorta zone, where the terroir differs noticeably from the rest of the appellation. The soils here contain higher concentrations of limestone and clay—a composition less common elsewhere in Franciacorta. Vineyards sit at elevations around 350 meters, where significant diurnal temperature variation between day and night helps preserve acidity in the grapes while allowing full phenolic ripeness.

The permitted grape varieties mirror those of Champagne: Chardonnay dominates plantings, followed by Pinot Noir and small amounts of Pinot Bianco. Wines must undergo secondary fermentation in bottle and age on the lees for a minimum of 18 months—though many producers far exceed this requirement. The best Franciacorta sparklers rival top Champagne in complexity and aging potential.

While large estates dominate Franciacorta's production, a growing number of small-scale, natural wine producers have established themselves in recent years. These vignerons often work organically, ferment with indigenous yeasts, and bottle without dosage—allowing the wines to express their terroir without added sugar. Some decline to use the Franciacorta DOCG designation entirely, preferring to label their wines as Spumante or Vino Spumante di Qualità to emphasize their distinct approach.

The combination of glacial soils, alpine influence, and meticulous traditional method production gives Franciacorta sparkling wines their hallmark characteristics: fine bubbles, crisp acidity, and a mineral backbone that distinguishes them from sparkling wines produced elsewhere in Italy.