At the Rome Planetarium, Castello Bonomi presented the Franciacorta Riserva Lucrezia Etichetta Nera 2004, returning to the stars of its vintage. A journey through time, continued in the wine glass and in the dishes prepared by Gianfranco Pascucci.
Look up and see the sky as it was twenty-two years ago above Castello Bonomi. See the stars that shone over a vineyard as the harvest began for the wine we now have in our glasses. We know we’re under the dome of a planetarium, that that night is a reenactment, and yet the magic takes hold of us. We can follow the constellations, recognize their patterns, and listen to their stories. And for a few moments, a date printed on the label becomes a real summer once again.
This is how the presentation of the Castello Bonomi Franciacorta Riserva Lucrezia Black Label 2004. Our guide was Astrophysicist Gianluca Masi, scientific curator of the Planetarium, which restored the celestial vault to the August 21, 2004, the day the grape harvest began, from which this wine would eventually be made. Above us, the sky as it could be seen back then from the Mount Orfano.
In Masi’s account—he was a brilliant communicator as well as a first-rate expert—the following were featured Vindemiatrix, the star traditionally associated with the grape harvest, Arturo, with his mythological ties to the gift of the vine, and then various constellations gradually revealed, in an increasingly evocative setting capable of creating a magical atmosphere. Names that bring the sky closer to the earth and remind us how long humans have sought in the stars a guide for their work in the fields. But the most captivating part was simply being able to watch: giving a visible form to that past, imagining the vineyards beneath that same vaulted ceiling, while the 2004 grapes were nearing the end of their ripening period and embarking on a journey whose full duration no one could yet foresee.
A small game left waiting
Lucrezia Etichetta Nera is a 100% Pinot Noir. For this selection from the 2004 vintage, only 250 bottles were produced. In 2010, after about five years on the lees, the Paladin family and cellar master Luigi Bersini decided to set aside a small batch: the wine showed sufficient quality and potential to warrant further aging.
The aging process has reached 242 months on the lees, with disgorgement in July 2025 and a subsequent resting period of about fifteen months before its presentation in Rome. Periodic tastings accompanied this evolution, leading to the decision to present the wine in its current form.
Numbers that, after the journey beneath the dome, took on a different kind of tangibility. We had just seen the sky from the beginning once more; in the chalice, we could find the result of all the time that had passed.
The Monte Orfano Signature
To understand this, you have to go back to the place itself. Castello Bonomi is located in Coccaglio, on the southern slopes of Monte Orfano: 35 hectares of terraced vineyards rising to 275 meters, in an area characterized by limestone conglomerate soils and a microclimate particularly favorable to viticulture. The Paladin family has been managing the estate since 2008, continuing the work in the vineyards and with extended aging periods.
Lucrezia Reserves are produced only in exceptional vintages. The name dates back to 1999, when engineer Marino Bonomi decided to dedicate a cuvée to his granddaughter. Over time, the project has branched out into different expressions, while continuing to focus on grape selection and the ability to undergo long aging periods.
In 2004, the flavor is the characteristic that most clearly identifies it as a Monte Orfano wine. It is also, as noted during the presentation, one of the factors considered when determining whether a wine qualifies for the Riserva Lucrezia designation.
The Tasting
Franciacorta Riserva Lucrezia Black Label 2004 Castello Bonomi
Rating: 98/100
Price upon request; only 250 bottles available.
100% Pinot Noir. Classic method, 242 months on the lees. Extra brut dosage.
The color is golden with an extremely fine effervescence. The aroma retains a surprising freshness and unfolds elegantly: anise, baked goods, a hint of bergamot, and then chestnut honey. A complex bouquet that reveals itself gradually.
The palate is round, creamy, and enveloping. Its freshness provides a solid foundation, and its rich savory character defines its development, giving momentum to the wine’s richness. The absence of dosage—with topping up done using the same wine—allows this combination of fullness and tension to shine through. A wine with great personality.
Pascucci’s Sea
The story continued at the table with Gianfranco Pascucci, chef at Pascucci al Porticciolo, who presented a seafood menu designed to pair with the estate’s Franciacorta wines.
After the Stelline pasta with tuna sauce and the focaccia, served with the 2016 Dosage Zéro in a magnum, the 2004 Lucrezia Etichetta Nera was paired with cuttlefish as if it were nougat. This was followed by “L’Occhio del mare” paired with the 2011 Lucrezia Etichetta Bianca and “Riso alle erbe” with red shrimp paired with the 2011 Lucrezia Etichetta Nera. The meal concluded with Jerusalem artichoke purée with shrimp and mushrooms, paired with the 2019 Cuvée 1564 Brut Nature. A sequence that brought the focus back to the table and to the gastronomic potential of these wines.
What stands out most about that evening, however, is that opening image: the stars of August 2004 above our heads. After gazing at them, even the “1000” on the glass seemed to reveal something more.
