For nearly two centuries, Mosnel has guarded one of Franciacorta’s most elegant identities. A family history that interweaves memory, sustainability and contemporary vision, told by Chiara Giannotti through a vertical tasting of EBB and Parosé, two iconic labels of the maison.
Founded in 1836 in Camignone, in the heart of Franciacorta, Mosnel is today one of the area’s iconic wineries. A history spanning almost two centuries and five generations of the Barboglio-Barzanò family., keeping intact a rare balance between memory and innovation, between agricultural culture and contemporary vision.
The historic 17th-century villa, with its gate that has become an emblem of the company, seems to live in a dimension suspended in time. Around , 41 hectares of organic vineyard develop like an orderly garden, crisscrossed by hedges, roses, hornbeams and hawthorns.
A vineyard designed as an ecosystem
The landscape is constructed with almost artistic precision, where the arrangement of plants even follows the Fibonacci succession, transforming the vineyard into a harmonious as well as productive ecosystem.
And it is in the very center of these vineyards that stands the mosnel, like a raised stage, which for the winery’s 190th anniversary celebration hosted the conference “Agroforestry. In search of tomorrow’s viticulture.” a multidisciplinary meeting dedicated to the relationship between vineyard, biodiversity and landscape.
A topic that Mosnel has been concretely studying for more than a decade together with Sata Agronomic Studio. In fact, multifunctional green manures, more than 800 meters of hedges with native shrub species and an articulated tree system capable of creating a more resilient ecosystem have been introduced in the vineyards.
Agroforestry here is not theory. It is a concrete practice that improves soil fertility, promotes biodiversity, aids water management and helps mitigate extreme climate effects. Most importantly, it restores a more lively and humane dimension to the vineyard.
For the Barzanò family, the vineyard is indeed a complex organism To be accompanied and not dominated. A place where vines must coexist with trees, insects, animals and microorganisms in a balance capable of generating health and beauty.
Mosnel style and the celebratory vertical
And it is perhaps precisely this idea of balance the deepest secret of the Mosnel style.
A style that we were able to revisit, during the 190th anniversary celebrations, in the vertical of two iconic products of the winery: the Parosé and theEBB.
The Parosé was born in 2001, in an area particularly suited to Pinot Noir, present at 70% and complemented by Chardonnay. A brave blend for the time, when few when few in Franciacorta really believed in the potential of Pinot Noir. L’EBB, on the other hand, is the Franciacorta Blanc de Blancs dedicated to Emanuela Barzanò Barboglio.
The Legacy of Emanuela Barzanò
An educated, determined and visionary woman, Emanuela represents the great turning point in the history of the company, now led by her children Lucia and Giulio Barzanò.
After her husband’s death she took over the estate and led its transformation, sensing among the first in Franciacorta the potential of the Metodo classico. She was also among the protagonists in the birth of the Franciacorta Consortium, leaving a decisive imprint on the territory’s qualitative path.
The sons continue that journey today with sensitivity, rigor, and a vision strongly oriented toward sustainability. In fact, Mosnel is one of the very rare companies in the denomination to produce exclusively Franciacorta from organic farming, certified since 2014.
Each choice reflects a precise philosophy: no chemical herbicides, use of energy from renewable sources, lightening the weight of the bottles, attention to biodiversity and soil fertility. Not communication strategies, but a culture of respect.
Franciacorta of precision and depth
The house’s Franciacortas never seek special effect or ostentation. Instead, they focus on finesse, aromatic precision, depth and capacity for evolution.
The cuvées come from parcellular vinifications, soft pressings and long aging on the lees.
Here wine has never been just a product. It is an agricultural, cultural and family gesture.
The Brut represents the most immediate and vibrant soul of the house.
>The Satèn conquers with its silky creaminess and very fine perlage.
>The Rosé, dominated by Pinot Noir, combines depth and saline tension.
Then there are the great vintage wines, an authentic expression of the winery’s philosophy, among which, in addition to the iconic EBB and Parosé, we find the Satèn Millesimato, the Riserva produced only in exceptional vintages, and the extremely rare QdE, aged over twenty years on the lees in very limited runs.
All wines capable of defying time and tell with intensity the purest identity of this land.
The long time of Franciacorta
At a time when wine is often in danger of turning into a quick image or mere commercial performance, Mosnel continues to remind us of something essential: great wines are born of long time, measure and the ability to listen to nature.
Because visiting Mosnel means going beyond wine. It means going through a barrique cellar carved out of the tufa rock and immersed in silence, walk among rows of vines that seem to have been designed by a landscape architect, observe the large century-old cedar tree that dominates the villa’s garden, and understand how agricultural beauty can become a form of well-being.
For nearly 190 years, this family has guarded a place and an idea of viticulture that does not chase fads, but seeks harmony and continuity, questioning how to preserve what has been built over nearly two centuries. And perhaps that is what makes the difference.
Franciacorta Extra Brut EBB 2019
Score: 95/100
Average price: € 58
100% Chardonnay. Classic method, 48 months..
Golden yellow. Very fine and persistent perlage. Clean nose, good concentration, with citrus notes of lemon and candied citron, William pear, white fruit and wisteria. The palate is long, savory and vertical, great balance between verticality and breadth, nice acidity and a very low sweet component.
Franciacorta Extra Brut EBB 2016
Score: 98/100
Average price: € 62
100% Chardonnay. Classic method, 48 months.
Very fine and persistent perlage. Golden yellow. Broader nose, citrusy with yellow fruit and elderflower is found. Saline, enveloping, agile and complex at the same time. The citrus returns in the very long finish. Drink of rare balance and complexity.
Franciacorta Extra Brut EBB 2010
Score: 94/100
Average price: € 75
100% Chardonnay. Classic method, 48 months.
Very fine and persistent perlage. Golden yellow. Nose of peach and tropical fruit, with hints of pineapple. The palate is rich, ripe, but still fresh and dynamic.
Franciacorta Extra Brut EBB 2008
Score: 97/100
Average price: € 85
100% Chardonnay. Classic method, 48 months.
Very fine and persistent perlage. Deep golden yellow. Evolved nose of wildflowers and yellow flowers, tropical fruit dominated by banana. Palate enveloping, rich, intense and deep, while retaining a nice refreshing bite.
Franciacorta Pas Dosé Rosé Parosé 2019
Score: 94/100
Average price: € 55
70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay. Classic method, minimum 30 months.
Fine and persistent perlage. Very faint antique rose. Notes of red fruits, pink grapefruit and pomegranate. Lots of mouthfeel amplitude, savoriness and salinity.
Franciacorta Pas Dosé Rosé Parosé 2016
Score: 95/100
Average price: € 60
70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay. Classic method, minimum 30 months.
Fine and persistent perlage. Very discharged antique pink. Delicate pomegranate notes intertwine with aromatic herbs, pleasant citrusy hints of grapefruit and chinotto, ginger and roasted hazelnuts. Highly elegant and complex on the palate, enveloping, taut and persistent.
Franciacorta Pas Dosé Rosé Parosé 2010
Score: 93/100
Average price: € 70
70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay. Classic method, minimum 30 months.
Fine and persistent perlage. Very discharged antique pink. Citrus, quinotto and medicinal herbs on the nose. Taut but enveloping palate, long with slightly almondy finish.
Franciacorta Pas Dosé Rosé Parosé 2008
Score: 94/100
Average price: € 78
70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay. Classic method, minimum 30 months.
Fine and persistent perlage. Very discharged old rose. More evolved nose, wilted rose petal, geranium. Intense deep and balanced mouthfeel, with saline and persistent sip.
