Terre d’Aenòr and Martinelli: Two young Franciacorta wineries to discover

In Franciacorta, there is no shortage of historic names and brands that are now recognizable even to the general public. Alongside these established realities, there is a new generation of wineries building their own identity by focusing on personal style and respect for the terroir. This is the case for Terre d’Aenòr and Tenuta Martinelli, two companies founded in 2018. Today, they are protagonists of a more personal and less standardized Franciacorta.

Despite different approaches, the two wineries share a modern, quality-oriented approach. They embrace an idea of “bubbles” that doesn’t necessarily seek immediate consensus, but rather recognizability. We are located respectively in Provaglio d’Iseo, in the heart of the DOCG, with Terre d’Aenòr, and in Cologne, in the southwestern area of the Brescian sparkling wine denomination, with Tenuta Martinelli.

• Maurizio Zanella, Franciacorta amarcord: Dreaming of Lambrusco
• The 2025 harvest begins in Franciacorta
• Consorzio Franciacorta: Emanuele Rabotti is the new president
• Franciacorta: The Brescianini era ends. New governance for the Consortium
• War breaks out between the Municipality of Rovato and the Franciacorta Consortium
• Cotarella “stops” Franciacorta: Here are Chardonnay and Pinot Noir without bubbles

From the very beginning, Terre d’Aenòr has built its project around certified organic viticulture and a contemporary interpretation of Franciacorta. The company’s approach is clear: a focus on sustainability, the centrality of the vineyard, and the search for an expressive profile capable of standing out.

Among the most representative labels, the Extra Brut Millesimato 2019 stands out, made from 85% Chardonnay and 15% Pinot Noir. It is a Franciacorta designed for those seeking dryness and tension, but also aromatic depth. The residual sugar is very low. The prolonged aging on the lees (the 03/2023 disgorgement was tasted) contributes to a complex and structured profile. The winery defines the label as “The shape of desire.”

THE TASTING

The wine presents a golden hue and an olfactory profile reminiscent of pastry notes and spices. Nuances of caramel, bitter citrus, and ripe fruit. In the mouth, it is enveloping and persistent. A texture that invites you to drink it not just as an aperitif, but as a sparkling wine for the entire meal.

The Extra Brut from Terre d’Aenòr is indeed a Franciacorta that lends itself to a wide range of pairings: creamy risottos, structured first courses, stuffed pastas, white meats, and more autumnal preparations. It is a style that interprets the denomination in a gastronomic key.

Tenuta Martinelli, at the foot of Monte Orfano, carries a strong family dimension. The company works vineyards located in several areas of Franciacorta, enhancing the variety of soils and the influence of terrains rich in clay, limestone, and iron oxides, often associated with the characteristic “red earth.”

The Franciacorta Brut Benedetta Buizza represents the winery’s flagship label. It is a wine dedicated to the memory of the Martinelli brothers’ mother and perfectly illustrates the company’s production approach: technical precision, a search for balance, and a gustatory progression focused on minerality.

THE TASTING

The Brut (the 2024 disgorgement was tasted, with no vintage indicated on the label) is born from a blend of Chardonnay (80%) and Pinot Noir (20%), with vinification in steel and aging on the lees for at least 18 months. The profile is linear but not trivial. Floral and yeast notes emerge on the nose.

While on the palate, the initial softness gives way to an increasing freshness and a more vertical finish. It is a Franciacorta that seems designed to be harmonious and clean, with a character that focuses on definition rather than the explosiveness of the notes.

While starting from the same denomination and the same production method, Terre d’Aenòr and Tenuta Martinelli offer different interpretations, both worth discovering within the Franciacorta landscape. The former works on an Extra Brut that expresses complexity and tension, with a broad aromatic signature and a decidedly gastronomic cut.

The latter presents a more measured and progressive Brut, where balance and minerality become central elements. In both cases, these are young wineries, founded in 2018, that are contributing to renewing the image of Franciacorta through recognizable wines capable of speaking to a discerning, curious audience that is less tied to mainstream labels.