The 2014 Franciacorta Dosaggio Zero (disgorged in 2018) is a blend of Pinot Nero and Chardonnay in equal parts (from 20-year-old vines). This wine sees up to 40 months of lees' aging, and you taste the creaminess of the wine's texture as a result. Otherwise, this pretty sparkling wine offers a steady succession of stone fruit, pear and sweet almond. In terms of the wine's drinking window, this is a near or medium-term vintage. Some 27,000 bottles were made.

I absolutely love the 2011 Franciacorta Dosaggio Zero presented by Contadi Castaldi. This 50-50 blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Nero shows a spectacular level of richness and opulence that comes across with yellow fruit, tropical tones, apricot and buttered almond biscuits. The 2011 vintage was a hot one and that extra heat has added to the overall generosity and suppleness of this delicious sparkling wine. In the mouth, it presents rich, creamy effervescence and a long, fruit-driven finish.

The 2008 Franciacorta Dosaggio Zero is 50-50 Pinot Nero and Chardonnay aged partly in wood and partly in stainless steel. The purity of the aromas is impressive and you can easily distinguish bright veins of citrus, stone fruit and freshly baked bread. Those fruit-forward nuances give the wine a smooth entry and a long, persistent finish. Drink: 2014-2019. Contadi Castaldi is one of the area’s most consistent producers of modern Franciacorta. Vittorio and Mariella Moretti founded the estate in the 1980s on the site of an abandoned brick factory. In fact, the underground cellars where the wines are now held once housed kilns for firing clay. Importer: Terra Moretti Trading USA; www.tmtrading-usa.com

This pretty 50-50 blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Nero delivers bright aromas of citrus fruit, apricot, almond and yellow rose. The sparkler offers a smooth, creamy mouthfeel with a touch of piquant spice and mature fruit flavors on the close.——M.L.(12/31/2011)—— 90