Fresh and elegant with white flower and citrus notes. The palate is complex with brioche and more citrus characters giving a lovely weight and texture. The mousse is fine and persistent.

One of the emerging estates in Italy's booming sparkling wine sector. Roberto Gatti spent 20 years as cellarmaster and viticulturalist at Bellavista, one of the early pioneers of the Franciacorta region, before creating Ferghettina in 1990. A new winery and cellars, started in 2002, were completed in 2005 and sit in a magnificent location overlooking the beautiful Lake Iseo. Roberto is assisted by his daughter Laura, also an oenologist, shortly to be joined by his son Matteo. The Gatti's control production of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, using only half of the grapes available for their production of 300,000 bottles. Meticulous attention to detail, skillful blending and long bottle maturation give wines of great finesse and individuality. The 'Italy's answer to Champagne' tag is unavoidable but these wines are much more than that.

The Gatti family manage 120 hectares of vineyards in six localities within the DOC. Milledi is produced solely from Chardonnay. Secondary fermentation is in bottle, and the wine spends 36 months on its lees.

This will pair a number of grilled fish or poultry dishes - but also try with sushi.