DOCG Sparkling

Fratelli Berlucchi Freccianera Satèn Millesimato, Franciacorta DOCG

Azienda Agricola Fratelli Berlucchi

Grape
Chardonnay
Denomination
Franciacorta DOCG
Region
Lombardy
ABV
12.5%
Drink
2021: 2025 to 2031

A vintage Franciacorta from Chardonnay grown on the Berlucchi family's own land at Borgonato. Satèn means a softer, gentler bubble. Three years on its yeasts bring apple, lemon and warm brioche. Built for the table, not just the aperitif.

Best priceBlack Friday · Checked deal
£27.90 was £30.00 Save 7% Full price charged on 31 checks, 16 Aug to 22 Oct. See all checked deals

2021 · 75cl · checked 6 Nov · Delivery usually £16.90, free on 5 bottles

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Where to buy Franciacorta DOCG Brut Satèn Millesimato Freccianera Fratelli Berlucchi

£27.90 best price · 2 retailers with 75cl · 2021 in stock · checked 6 Nov 2026

Stock is shown where the retailer publishes it, offers are sorted by price, and unavailable offers can’t be clicked.

Vino.com Best price Save 7% 2021 · 75cl · checked 6 Nov · Delivery usually £16.90, free on 5 bottles
Read from the retailer's page on the date shown, so treat it as a guide and confirm at the retailer.
£27.90 was regular price £30.00 £37.20/L
Buy
XtraWine Best price 2021 · 75cl · checked 6 Nov · Delivery charge shown at checkout
Read from the retailer's page on the date shown, so treat it as a guide and confirm at the retailer.
£31.00 £41.33/L
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Stock status is read from each retailer’s page several times a week and may lag.

Tasting Notes

What Freccianera's 2021 Satèn tastes like

Fratelli Berlucchi picks this Chardonnay by hand at Borgonato, then rests it at least 30 months on its yeasts. Apple, lemon and warm bread are what that time gives the glass.

Tasted by
ItalianWines editorial
Tasted on
31 August 2026
Vintage in glass
2021
Source
Drinker consensus · confidence Medium
Nose

Lemon and green apple lead, with the ripe peach the estate's own sheet calls out. Underneath sits warm bread and a little vanilla, built by at least 30 months on the yeasts. Orchard fruit and citrus are what the glass gives first, every time.

LemonLemon
AcaciaAcacia
AppleApple
PeachPeach
Wet stonesWet stones
HazelnutsHazelnuts
BriocheBrioche
VanillaVanilla
Palate

The bubble is fine and soft, because Satèn is bottled at around five bars rather than six. Acidity is bright and the finish is dry, at 6.5 grams of sugar per litre. Part of the wine finished fermenting in 500-litre French oak, and that shows as a light buttery weight rather than oak flavour. Fruit stays in the apple and lemon range, with a nutty edge from the long rest.

Finish

Dry, clean and quite long, with a chalky, savoury pull. Minerals and graphite are the words for it, and that stony edge fits the gravelly glacial soil at 250 metres above the lake.

Overall

A well-liked wine, vintage after vintage. The next vintage, the 2022, took Best in Show at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2026, the first Franciacorta ever to manage it. The 2021 is the everyday end of that same run. Drink it over the next few years, and put it with food.

Drink now Best by 2031
Live UK pricing

What a Freccianera Satèn costs right now

The 2021 is listed at £33.63, and has been on offer at £30.60.

Best price · 75 cl · 2021 £27.90 at Vino.com
Price spread · 75cl · 2021 £27.90 - £31.00 Across 2 UK retailers with 75cl · 2021 in stock
Retailers · 75cl · 2021 2UK 2 in stock
Vintages live 2021 Newest vintage on sale here: 2021
Per-litre (75cl · 2021 basis) £37.20 Lowest current 75cl · 2021 offer
Last checked 6 Nov 2026 Refreshed once every 24 hours
Wine fit score

How the Freccianera Satèn scores for food, value and keeping

Six scores for a £33 vintage Franciacorta made only from Chardonnay and aged three years on its yeasts before release.

Best with food 8.8/10

Bright acidity and a gentle five-bar bubble cut fried food and creamy risotto, and Decanter's Charles Curtis MW rates the softer Satèn style as the one built for the table.

Best value 8.8/10

At about £31 on offer it undercuts most vintage Franciacorta, which usually starts nearer £39.

Best for an occasion 8.6/10

A DOCG vintage sparkling wine from the estate whose 2022 Satèn took Decanter's Best in Show, so the bottle carries a story worth telling at the table.

Best intro to this style 7.2/10

Easy to like, with apple, lemon and warm bread, but Satèn is an unfamiliar word and £33 is a step up from Prosecco.

Best for cellar 6.2/10

A vintage Franciacorta with at least 30 months on its yeasts will hold to about 2031, though it is not built for a decade in the dark like a Riserva.

Best everyday bottle 4.2/10

At £33 this is a wine for a good Friday rather than a Tuesday, and it is ready to drink rather than waiting.

Scoring is rule-based and deterministic. The model and weightings are documented in our Wine Fit Score methodology.

Denomination Compliance Snapshot

Franciacorta in five fields

A compact view of what the Franciacorta denomination actually requires, and how this bottle sits inside it. Pulled from the official Italian disciplinare.

Allowed grapes
4 varieties listed in the disciplinare
This bottle: Chardonnay.
Minimum ageing
18 months
on the lees before disgorgement
Region / area
Brescia: 19 communes in the moraine amphitheatre south of Lake Iseo, Paratico to Gussago
Source: Disciplinare.
Style
DOCG · Franciacorta
Alcohol minimum in the rules: 11.5%. A total-alcohol minimum includes the alcohol the remaining sugar could produce, so the ABV on the label can be lower.
Classification
DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita)
What that means →
Vintages

2021 in Franciacorta: April frost, July hail

The Franciacorta growers' association rates 2021 a small crop. A frost on 6 to 8 April and a hailstorm on 25 July both cut the yield. The grapes stayed healthy, and the base wines came in fresh and elegant.

2021 Newest vintage on sale here
Best price
£27.90
Retailers
2 in stock
ABV
12.5%
Window
Drink now through 2031

A small crop after a frost on 6 to 8 April and a hailstorm on 25 July. Picking started on 14 August and ran long, and the growers' association reported healthy grapes and base wines with real freshness.

2021 Newest vintage on sale here
Best price
£27.90
Retailers
2 in stock
ABV
12.5%
Window
Drink now through 2031

A small crop after a frost on 6 to 8 April and a hailstorm on 25 July. Picking started on 14 August and ran long, and the growers' association reported healthy grapes and base wines with real freshness.

Drink-now / hold guidance reflects general style cues for this wine, not a forecast for a specific bottle. Where vintage-level editorial notes exist, they appear above.

The disciplinare, the place, the label

What sits behind a £33 Franciacorta Satèn

Freccianera farms 70 hectares of its own vines, roughly 100 football pitches, all within two kilometres of the cellar at Borgonato. The oldest plots are 52 years old. That land, and three years of waiting, is most of what you pay for.

01

DOC, DOCG, IGT: what the badges mean

Italian wine law sorts bottles into a pyramid. DOCG sits at the top: tightly drawn boundaries, prescribed grapes, mandatory ageing, government tasting before release. DOC is the same idea with looser thresholds. IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) is broader still, requiring only that 85% of the grapes come from the named territory.

Franciacorta is in the DOCG tier. That is not a quality verdict, it is a description of how much freedom the producer has at vinification and ageing.

02

The denomination rules, in detail

  • Allowed grapes. 4 varieties listed in the disciplinare
  • Yield ceiling. 10.0 tonnes per hectare
  • Alcohol minimum in the rules. 11.5% vol. A total-alcohol minimum includes the alcohol the remaining sugar could produce, so the ABV on the label can be lower.
  • Minimum ageing. 18 months on the lees before disgorgement
  • Tasting panel. Chemical analysis and a tasting commission before sale, required by Italian law for every DOC and DOCG
03

Region and area context

Franciacorta falls within Lombardy, covering Brescia: 19 communes in the moraine amphitheatre south of Lake Iseo, Paratico to Gussago.

Franciacorta DOCG zone The producer Wine route in the zone

Producer: Azienda Agricola Fratelli Berlucchi, Borgonato di Cortefranca. Directions

Wine route in the zone: Strada del Franciacorta.

04

Reading the label

  • Azienda Agricola Fratelli BerlucchiProducer / estate
  • ChardonnayGrape varieties
  • Franciacorta DOCGGeographic indication and quality tier
  • 2021Vintage of the 75 cl bottle on sale here
  • 12.5% vol · 75 clAlcohol by volume and bottle size
  • Bottled at the estateBottling
05

What sits behind the price of Franciacorta DOCG Brut Satèn Millesimato Freccianera Fratelli Berlucchi

Tracked from
£27.90
Direction
Mostly cost up
Drivers
5 up / 1 down
Main factor
Three years on the yeasts before the bottle can be sold
  1. 01

    Three years on the yeasts before the bottle can be sold

    Cost up

    Freccianera holds the Satèn at least 30 months on its yeasts, and the 2021 had 40. Three years of stock sits in the cellar before any money comes back.

  2. 02

    Only the best Chardonnay plots, cropped below the legal ceiling

    Cost up

    The 2021 comes from a selection of the estate's best Chardonnay plots, cropped at 9 tonnes a hectare where Franciacorta allows 10. Fewer grapes per row means fewer bottles to carry the cost.

  3. 03

    Hand picking into small crates across three villages

    Cost up

    Every bunch for this wine is cut by hand at Borgonato, Torbiato di Adro and Provaglio d'Iseo, then carried in small crates. A machine harvest would cost a fraction of that.

  4. 04

    Part of the wine finishes fermenting in 500-litre French oak

    Cost up

    The estate moves part of each vintage into 500-litre French oak to finish fermenting, then stirs it on its own yeast sediment. Barrels are bought, filled and replaced. Steel tanks are not.

  5. 05

    UK duty and VAT on a 12.5% bottle

    Cost up

    At the HMRC rate that applies from 1 February 2026, £30.62 per litre of pure alcohol, a 75cl bottle at 12.5% carries £2.87 of duty.

  6. 06

    The family owns every vine, so nobody else takes a cut

    Cost down

    All 70 hectares are Fratelli Berlucchi's own, within two kilometres of the cellar, and the wine is aged and bottled on the same property.

01

Three years on the yeasts before the bottle can be sold

Cost up

Freccianera holds the Satèn at least 30 months on its yeasts, and the 2021 had 40. Three years of stock sits in the cellar before any money comes back.

Perfect Pairings

Dishes that go with this wine

Fish and Chips, plated

Fish and Chips
Paneer tikka, plated

Paneer tikka
Fish pakora, plated

Fish pakora
Chicken pakora, plated

Chicken pakora
Dan dan noodles, plated

Dan dan noodles
Food Pairing

Soft bubbles, sharp acidity: what to eat with Satèn

Satèn is bottled at about five bars instead of six, so the fizz is gentler and the wine sits more easily beside food. Decanter's Charles Curtis MW makes the same point: this style earns its place at the table.

Fat cutting Strong match

Fried Lombard cheese, and anything straight from the pan

Hot fat coats the tongue and dulls flavour. The sharp acidity here scrubs it away, and the fine bubble scrubs again. Sciatt, the fried cheese fritters made an hour north in Valtellina, are the local answer, and the same logic carries to tempura and to good fish and chips.

Try with: Sciatt valtellinesi · Gnocco fritto · Arancini · Prawn Tempura · Fish and Chips · More pairings →

Salt balance Strong match

Oysters, salt cod and anything from cold water

Salt makes a wine taste rounder and fruitier. This one has the acidity to take that shift without going flabby, and it is dry enough at 6.5 grams of sugar per litre to stay crisp beside brine. Oysters and whipped salt cod are the clearest test.

Try with: Oysters · Baccala Mantecato · Scottish Smoked Salmon · Impepata di cozze · Polenta e schie · More pairings →

Body matching Good match

Creamy risotto and melted cheese

Rice cooked with butter and stock is heavy and soft, and it needs a wine with weight of its own. Thirty months on the yeasts give this Satèn a bready body that sits level with a Risotto alla Milanese, while the gentle bubble stops the plate feeling rich.

Try with: Risotto alla Milanese · Porcini mushroom risotto · Pumpkin risotto · Fonduta · More pairings →

Acidity matching Good match

Raw fish and delicate seafood

Sushi and sashimi are quiet flavours, and a hard, aggressive fizz walks over them. Satèn is bottled at five bars rather than six, so its bubble is softer and its acidity does the work instead. Lemon and green apple sit exactly where raw fish wants them.

Try with: Nigiri Sushi · Sashimi · Tempura · More pairings →

Aromatic bridge Good match

Soft cheese, cured veal and pastry-led starters

Long ageing on the yeasts leaves bread, hazelnut and butter notes in the glass. Those notes shake hands with baked and creamy dishes rather than fighting them. A soft cheese or a slice of vitello tonnato picks up the same warm register.

Try with: Caciocavallo farcito · Frico · Vitello Tonnato · Focaccia Genovese · More pairings →

Avoid Clash

Chilli heat and sweet-and-sour sauces

Bubbles and acidity make chilli burn hotter, and the alcohol carries the heat further. Sweet sauces do the opposite damage. They make a dry wine at 6.5 grams of sugar per litre taste thin and sour. Save this bottle for the starter, not the curry.

Skip with: Kerala prawn curry · Sweet and sour prawns · Tandoori prawns · Salt and pepper prawns · Pairing guide →

Drinking + cellar

How long to keep the 2021 Satèn

This is a vintage wine, released after at least 30 months on its yeasts, and the 2021 had 40. It drinks well now and should hold to about 2031.

Drinking window
2021: 2025 to 2031

Peak around 2027. For the main offer above.

Decanting
Not needed

Pour it straight from the bottle.

Cellar potential
Medium

A vintage Franciacorta with at least 30 months on its yeasts will hold to about 2031, though it is not built for a decade in the dark like a Riserva.

Buy now or wait?
Buy now

£27.90 for a 75cl bottle of the 2021, at Vino.com, is the best price we track, and we have no signal of further discounting.

Sources & trust

Sources behind this Freccianera page

Prices & stock

Read directly from each retailer’s public product page several times a week. Last refresh: 6 Nov 2026, 03:57 BST. We do not hold stock and we do not accept payment for placement.

Confidence · High
Tasting notes

Drawn from published drinker ratings, summarised in our own words. A crowd read across many tasters, not a single critic.

Confidence · Medium
Appellation rules & ageing

From the official Italian disciplinare for this denomination, cross-checked against the Ministry of Agriculture register.

Confidence · High
Why it costs what it costs

Our reading of the price, from how this wine is made, UK duty and VAT and the price shops charge for it today. Not a quote from the producer or a retailer.

Confidence · Medium
Drink window & cellar potential

The drinking years for the main offer apply to its 2021 vintage. Treat them as advice, not a forecast for the bottle in your hand.

Confidence · Medium
Related

Franciacorta, Chardonnay and Fratelli Berlucchi

Producer
Azienda Agricola Fratelli Berlucchi Lombardy
Grapes
Chardonnay
Denomination
Franciacorta DOCG
Region
Lombardy Region guide
Cuisine
Japanese Cuisine 6 dishes paired Chinese Cuisine 6 dishes paired Indian Cuisine 3 dishes paired

Common Questions

Satèn is Franciacorta's softest style. It is made only from white grapes, and it is bottled at about five bars of pressure instead of the usual six. That lower pressure gives a finer, creamier bubble, which is where the name comes from. Freccianera makes its Satèn from 100% Chardonnay.

Apple, pear and lemon come first, then a warm bready note from its long rest on the yeasts. Orchard fruit and citrus stand out most, then cream and brioche; the estate's own sheet adds peach and a touch of vanilla. It finishes dry and savoury, at 6.5 grams of sugar per litre.

Fried and salty things work best. Try it with sciatt, the fried cheese fritters of nearby Valtellina, or with oysters, whipped salt cod, or a creamy Risotto alla Milanese. Decanter's Charles Curtis MW points out that Satèn's softer texture suits food better than a straight aperitif.

The 2022 vintage did, not the 2021 sold here. Freccianera Satèn Millesimato 2022 was named Best in Show at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2026. It was the first Franciacorta ever to take that title, and the only Italian sparkling wine to do so that year. The 2021 is the vintage before it, from the same vines and the same method.

Drink it between now and about 2031, with a sweet spot around 2027. It has already spent at least 30 months on its yeasts before release, so it arrives ready. Keep it lying down somewhere cool and dark, and serve it at 8 to 10 degrees.

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Franciacorta DOCG Brut Satèn Millesimato Freccianera Fratelli Berlucchi
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