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Antinori (Tenuta Montenisa), 'Marchese Antinori' Cuvée Royale Franciacorta NV
SparklingItalyNV
By Daniel Min · Tasted 2019-11-13 · Published 2026-09-15 · Updated 2026-09-15
At a glance
In one line
1.5/5 — lower than Vivino's 3.9 average · world avg price US$53 · A vineyard with records going back to 1158, acquired by the Antinori family in 1999.
No critic score on file on Vivino
Market note: Antinori acquired Tenuta Montenisa from the Maggi family in 1999. Cuvée Royale is the entry-level non-vintage bottling in Montenisa's lineup, and unlike the family's still wines (such as Villa Antinori Rosso), it follows the Franciacorta DOCG sparkling wine rules.
Father's note — Daniel Min
Original author of the notes“I can't drink Italian sparkling for the time being. Did not find anything other than bubble.”
What I learned today: a bottle's score also records which glass of the night it was.
Thursday, for the first time Minjae didn't come alone. A senior from his team at work, he said. The moment he sat down, the senior asked, "Italian sparkling is all Prosecco, right?" Minjae looked at me, and I looked at Master Seo. Without a word, Master Seo took out three flutes.
Between the senior and Minjae, I got a glass too. Green apple, lemon, a very faint bread. The bubbles were fine and busy. The senior said, "More like Champagne than I expected," and I nodded. But on the second sip my nose caught on first. I'd smelled these bubbles before, with a tired nose.
Late autumn when I was twenty-one, a Wednesday evening with cold rain drumming on the window. That night the glasses on the table kept changing without end. A glass with bubbles, a red glass, bubbles again. By the time Father set down I don't know which glass in front of me, my nose had already given up. Only the tickle of bubbles tapped at the tip of it. Father took one sip and pushed his glass far away. I don't know the bottle's name.
When I opened the notebook, sixteen bottles were written down for that one day. This bottle's line is blunt: "I can't drink Italian sparkling for the time being." And: "Did not find anything other than bubble." One and a half stars. Honestly, reading it hurt a little, because my glass tonight was much kinder than that. Still, I don't change Father's sentences. Maybe his nose was as tired as mine that night.
Master Seo said, briefly, "That's the record of that day." The senior asked for a second glass. What I learned today: a bottle's score also records which glass of the night it was.
What this wine is
This land's history runs longer than Antinori's. Records show the Calino area of Lombardy was granted to a local noble family as far back as 1158, and by the late 19th century ownership had passed to the Maggi family when Lavinia Calini married Count Gaetano Maggi. One of the Maggi descendants, Count Aymo Maggi, founded Italy's legendary Mille Miglia road race in 1927 — which is why Tenuta Montenisa's premium line today is named 'Conte Aymo' after him.
In 1999, the Antinori family — 26 generations deep, making wine in Florence since 1385 — crossed paths with the Maggi land. Antinori acquired the estate inside the Franciacorta DOCG and reorganized it as Tenuta Montenisa, and its vineyards have been the heart of Marchese Antinori's Franciacorta production ever since.
Franciacorta itself has its own story. In 1957, Guido Berlucchi released the first wine to carry the Franciacorta name, and in 1961 his winemaker Franco Ziliani made 3,000 bottles using the traditional bottle-fermented method — the region's real starting point. It reached DOC status in 1967, and in 1995 was elevated to DOCG status for its sparkling wines specifically — the first Italian designation to require the traditional bottle-fermentation method by rule. Since 2003, it has been the only Italian wine, like Champagne, not required to spell out its DOCG status on the label.
What the world says
The Vivino community rated it 3.9 on average from 9,967 ratings — 60% at 4 stars or above, 37% at 3 stars, a solidly favorable, crowd-pleasing response. It ranks 109,357th among 2.1 million Italian wines and 592nd of 2,449 wines from Antinori. No critic score is on file.
The flavor keywords lead with the tree-fruit group — green apple, apple, peach (320 mentions) — followed by citrus and lemon (214), the bread-and-nut group of brioche and toast (146), and yeast and cream (115): the classic apple-citrus-yeast profile of Franciacorta on full display. Structure: acidity a pronounced 3.9/5, fizziness 3.4, and a lighter intensity at 3.0.
"Opened at Wednesday's Calgary Vivino meetup. My second bubble. Traditional method, Chardonnay-dominant gem from Italy." — Vivino review, Jan 2024, 4.1 stars
"Fairly simple Franciacorta aperitif, did the job to prepare the palate for the Tuscan onslaught that was to come. As Franciacorta goes this was good." — Vivino review, Sept 2022, 4.0 stars
My 1.5 sits 2.4 points below that 3.9 community average. Of every wine covered on this site, only two other scores fall lower — a pair of 1.0s — which makes 1.5 the next lowest.
How I drank it
"I can't drink Italian sparkling for the time being. Did not find anything other than bubble." 13 November 2019, 1.5 stars.
That day I logged sixteen bottles at once, and set against the others, this score's lowness stands out even more. The same day I gave Dom Pérignon Brut 2008 a 5.0, Veuve Clicquot Carte Jaune a 4.5, and Charles Dauteuil Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Champagne another 4.5 — and this Franciacorta got 1.5. Even limited to the sparklings from that single day, it was the lowest score of the lot.
The note itself — 'I can't drink Italian sparkling for the time being' — might reflect more than disappointment with this one bottle; it may also carry the fatigue or comparison effect of working through several sparkling wines in a row that day, including a Prosecco (Canti, 4.0). But taken at face value, the fact stands: on a wine the community rates 3.9, I wrote that I 'did not find anything other than bubble.' Set next to the 4.5 I gave the same family's Villa Antinori Rosso Toscana 2016 the very next day, this low score reads less as a verdict on Antinori as a house and more as a verdict on this particular Franciacorta — or the conditions of that specific evening.
Vivino community data
NV vintage rating distribution (9967 ratings, average 3.9)
| 5★ | 687 (7%) | |
| 4★ | 5323 (53%) | |
| 3★ | 3685 (37%) | |
| 2★ | 229 (2%) | |
| 1★ | 43 (0%) |
Most-mentioned aromas
| Family | Mentions | Top keywords |
|---|---|---|
| Tree fruit & apple | 320 | green apple 106 · apple 72 · peach 58 · pear 40 · yellow apple 13 |
| Citrus | 214 | citrus 106 · lemon 62 · lime 22 · grapefruit 13 |
| Bread & nuts (non-oak) | 146 | brioche 51 · toast 49 · almond 20 · biscuit 13 · nutty 6 |
| Yeast & cream | 115 | yeast 70 · cream 33 · cheese 6 |
| Earth | 61 | minerals 23 · honey 15 · stone 6 · smoke 4 · ginger 3 |
| Oak | 39 | butter 19 · vanilla 7 · pastry 4 · oak 3 · toffee 2 |
| Vegetal | 21 | straw 11 · hay 3 · chard 2 · grass 2 |
Structure: Acidity 3.9/5 · Intensity 3.0/5 · Fizziness 3.4/5
Average by vintage (all vintages: 9967 ratings, average 3.9)
| Vintage | Average | Ratings |
|---|
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→Frequently asked questions
What kind of wine is Antinori Montenisa Cuvée Royale Franciacorta?
A non-vintage sparkling wine from Marchesi Antinori's Tenuta Montenisa estate in Franciacorta DOCG, Lombardy, Italy. A Chardonnay-led blend made by the same bottle-fermented method as Champagne. Vivino: 3.9 average from 9,967 ratings.
How much does it cost?
World average price not yet confirmed for this piece (US$53 per 750ml ex-tax (Wine-Searcher, Sept 2026)).
What food pairs well with it?
Vivino users suggest shellfish, appetizers and snacks, lean fish, mild soft cheese, and as an aperitif.
Why is my score so far off the community average?
The Vivino community's 9,967 ratings average 3.9, but I drank it exactly once, on 13 November 2019, and gave it 1.5. My note said I 'did not find anything other than bubble.' That's a stark contrast to the same day's other sparklers (Dom Pérignon 5.0, Veuve Clicquot 4.5). Since I gave the family's Villa Antinori Rosso a 4.5, this looks less like a verdict on Antinori as a brand and more about this one bottle or that particular evening.
Links & sources
View on Vivino · Prices on Wine-Searcher
- Tenuta Montenisa official — The Estate
- Wikipedia — Franciacorta DOCG
- Marchesi Antinori official — Tenuta Montenisa
- Vivino — wine page and community data
Read next
Swipe for more →
Tasted the same dayKendall-Jackson, Vintner's Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2016
United States · Sonoma★★★★☆Tasted the same day1865 Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc Leyda Valley 2015
Chile★★★★☆Tasted the same dayAlta Vista Single Vineyard Serenade Malbec 2015
Argentina · Mendoza★★★★½Same producerAntinori, Castello della Sala 'Cervaro della Sala' 2016
Italy★★★★½Same producerAntinori, Tenuta Tignanello 'Solaia' 2012
Italy · Tuscany★★★★★Same producer