Earlier than I began penning this weblog, I had a love/hate relationship with Prosecco. Really, it was just about a hate-only relationship since many of the Prosecco out there within the US had just one principal attribute for me: it was low-cost. There was not a lot taste aside from an acrid nuttiness that was not likely all that interesting in any respect (a minimum of to me).
I’ll freely admit that a few of my angst directed at Prosecco was my identification as a Champagne snob—Prosecco is made with the Glera grape (a minimum of 85%) and never by the conventional or champagne technique, however by the Charmat or Martinotti technique, which as a champagne snob, one is required to see as inferior. (The 2 strategies each begin with nonetheless wine after which a second fermentation is induced [which creates the effervescence]. In Champagne, this occurs within the bottle, whereas it happens in a big tank in Methodo Martinotti.)
A couple of years into this weblog, although, I had a implausible lunch in New York Metropolis with Silvia Franco of Prosecco producer Nino Franco and he or she launched me to Prosecco Superiore DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita or Denomination of Managed and Assured Origin). It turned out that the Prosecco for which I had a lot disdain was Prosecco DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata or Denomination of Managed Origin), which comes from the valley flooring the place the fruit is machine-picked and the wines are made on a large scale.
Silvia pressured that there’s a big distinction between the DOC and DOCG wines, the latter coming from the intensely hilly areas across the two Veneto cities of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene (there are literally 15 completely different communes that may use the designation, however that stage of trivialities is for one more publish). The important thing level to remove? When on the lookout for a larger high quality Prosecco, make it possible for it’s labeled as a DOCG and never merely DOC.
There are two different designations inside the Prosecco Superiore DOCG which can be of even larger high quality: Prosecco Superiore Rive DOCG (which comes from 43 particular villages or vineyards) and Valdobbiadene Superiore di Cartizze DOCG (which comes from one particular ridiculously steep hill in Valdobbiadene, which is taken into account the Grand Cru of Prosecco.
Lately, I used to be invited to a dinner right here in Houston to be taught extra in regards to the wines from the DOCG and pattern a dozen of the wines out there within the U.S. The primary flight as three have been meant as an intro to the DOCG and a dialogue of what units it other than Prosecco DOC.
NV Perlage Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG Canah Brut: Retail $19. 100% Glera. 8 g/l dosage. Fairly mild in shade with fantastic tree fruit, largely pear with a beautiful floral part on the nostril. Refined and shy initially with largely the acidity coming by means of. Delicate and effective. Very Good. 89 Factors.
Lest you assume that such occasion are sloppy drunk-fests, the pours are tiny and we spit all of it again out too.
2023 Ancillotto Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG Brut: Retail $22. 100% Glera. 30% pores and skin maceration. 8 g/l dosage. Barely extra shade than the primary, however nonetheless barely any shade. Tons of briny seashell on the nostril together with a nutty part. Once more, missing in fruit however loads of acidity with a prolonged end. Very Good. 88 Factors.
2023 Conte Collalto Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG Ponte Rosso Additional Brut: Retail $20. 100% Glera. Additional brut (1 g/l). One of many older wineries within the area. Single winery. A touch of some shade right here, making an attempt to get to straw. Extra of a citrus nostril, significantly orange zest and mandarin. Pretty austere on the palate, very dry, with hints of lime and hazelnut. Fairly salty. Wants meals, however implausible. Glorious. 90 Factors.
The following flight of three wines highlighted the completely different kinds produced within the DOCG. Whereas the huge majority (near 95%) are produced within the basic Methodo Marinotti fashion, lately there was a rise in producers utilizing the sui lieviti (assume pet-nat) and methodo classico (the identical technique utilized in Champagne) strategies the place the second fermentation happens within the bottle (the primary distinction being that the lifeless yeast cells are eliminated or disgorged within the latter whereas they continue to be within the bottle with the previous).
NV Santa Margherita Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Brut: Retail $25. 100% Glera. Basic DOCG Prosecco. Gentle straw with oodles of tree fruit. Tons of pink apple. The palate is a bit candy however has loads of acidity. Fantastic, however not the very best on this lineup. Very Good. 88 Factors.
2022 Spumanti Gemin (Bortolomiol Guglielmo) Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Brut Nature sui lieviti Cuvée Cavalier Alvio Stramare: Retail $39. 90% Glera, 10% Verdiso. 0 g/l. Sui Lieviti (ancestrale). A tad cloudy and fairly a fervent sparkle. Actually yeasty on the nostril with fairly a little bit of acidity. This wine screams for meals and is absolutely tart, loaded with citrus. 3.2pH (which is a comparatively low pH, which means it’s fairly excessive in acidity). Very good. Glorious. 91 Factors.
2021 Valdo Prosecco di Valdobbiadene Numero 10: Retail $32. 100% Glera. Methodo Classico. Additional Brut (1 g/l). Richest shade to date effectively into straw shade. Wealthy and creamy on the nostril with loads of yeastiness. The palate can be fairly wealthy and creamy. Excellent. 93 Factors.
I’ll publish extra about this unimaginable tasting subsequent week.
