Find out about this sparkling wine from the Franciacorta region, and see three to try from our tasters...
What is Satèn wine? – ask Decanter
Satèn, meaning ‘silk’ in Italian, is unique to the Franciacorta region, and its come-hither style gives it the opportunity to stand out in a crowded wine market.
Always produced from Chardonnay, Satèn is unlike other sparkling wines made in Franciacorta – or Champagne for that matter – as it has less pressure in the bottle: five bars compared with six.
In order to achieve this, producers add less sugar in the liqueur de tirage: 18-20grams/litre as opposed to 24g/l for fully sparkling wines.
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The lower level of sugar produces less alcohol and less carbon dioxide during the second fermentation, hence the lower level of pressure.
The style is always brut (maximum of 15g/l).
The resulting wine is gentle, creamy and – whether or not it is the power of suggestion – silky.
Rebecca Gibb MW is an award-winning wine writer. Originally published as part of a feature in the Decanter Italy supplement 2018. Subscribe to Decanter magazine here.
