Prosecco Part Two: Cartizze 'cru' and 4 DOCG delights

Written by on in Flavor of the day, General Wine, Italian, White Wines
A nice holiday selection of Prosecco Superiore DOCG bottlings. See tasting notes below.

So what’s the difference between Prosecco DOC and Prosecco Superiore DOCG sparkling wines?

Location, location, location. And a few more production details.
The Prosecco DOC classification zone is broader, covering about 44,000
acres under vine in the Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia regions
around Treviso.

Prosecco Superiore DOCG zone is much smaller — only 17,000 acres — and runs from Valdobbiadene in the west to Conegliano in the east. This small zone has
the steepest hillsides which form an embroidered network of   sloping vineyards.

Fagher Valdobbiadene Le Colture Brut.

The Belluno Prealps to the north creates annamphitheater effect to shield  vineyards from harsh winter weather, while breezes from the Venetian Lagoons and Adriatic Sea provide cooling breezes during hot summers. This is the heart of the Prosecco  zone. The soils are unique — clay, schist, some limestone, stony (galestro) — and Glera, Prosecco’s primary grape, reaches its expressive peak here.

There are 15 communes in this special DOCG zone, including Cartizze which is considered the best of the best for producing Prosecco. Here the hillsides are the steepest. Grapes must be hand-harvested and production yields are kept purposely low.

Under DOCG rules, Prosecco Superiore must be 85 percent Glera with the balance of Verdiso, Pevera, Bianchetta Trevigiana and Glera Lungha. Generally, Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco possesses floral aromas and fruity notes of pear, apple and stone fruit. There’s a distinctive freshly baked bread trait too. The perlage (beads of bubbles) are  tiny, persistent and the palate is round and enhanced by a soft mousse.

Adamo’s Bosco di Gica Prosecco Superiore Brut

Like Champagne, Prosecco undergoes two fermentations to develop its frizzante (fizzy) or spumante styles, the latter being the most popular version. But whereas Champagne’s second fermentation is in bottle, Prosecco’s is in an autoclave (enclosed) stainless steel tank where carbon dioxide is captured and pressurized. In 1876, Carpené Malvolti
founded the famous Conegliano School of Enology where he developed the modern tank method.

Prosecco Superiore DOCG comes in three levels of sweetness — Brut (driest); Extra Dry (semi-sweet) and Dry (sweetest). The wines come in non-vintage and vintage (millesimato) dated.

Here are my tasting notes on four Prosecco Superiore DOCG sparkling wines selling for less than $25. My thanks to Colangelo & Partners fro providing the samples which are available in New Hampshire State Liquor outlets and many fine wine stores in Massachusetts.

Mionetto Cartizze is simply stated and refined.

Hint: Prosecco Superiore DOCG wines carry a gold label on the top of the bottle denoting the highest quality classification. “Cartizze” and “Valdobiaddene Conegliano” sparklers  are synonymous with Prosecco and often do not even mention the word on the bottle.
• Malibran Ruio Superiore Brut, $18.99 — The “Ruio” on the bottle carries a special distinction. It is one of 43 rive, or prestigious DOCG vineyards, that can be so noted. Malibran’s Glera grapes are handpicked and meticulously placed in small containers to guard from bruising the fruit. They are gently pressed before undergoing two fermentations. A Decanter World Wine Awards winner with a 95-point rating, Malibran lives up to its elegance with a consistent effervescence that glows in the glass. Nice apple and peach flavors highlight  a dry, lingering aftertaste.
• Mionetto Cartizze Dry — This top-of-the line spumante costs less
than $25 and exhibits all the sparkle and silkiness of $100 Champagne.
It’s 100 percent Glera, creamy, and issues a steady stream of beady
starbursts of citrusy, honeyed and nutty flavors. Very deserving of
the Gold Medal it earned at the 2016 International Wine & Spirits
Competition.

Malibran Ruio. The “Ruio” on the label designates a special cru “rive” or vineyard where the grapes were grown.

• Adami Bosco di Gica Prosecco Superiore, $21 — Bosco di Gica is a special place in the commune of Colbertaldo which first showed up in historical records in the 15th century. The vineyards date back to 1920 and many vines are 30-35 years old. This is a luxurious sparkling wine. The mouthfeel is full, soft and dreamy. There’s a tinge more sweetness to the fruit, making this a great sparkler for spicier foods like chicken teriyacki and Asian dishes.
• Le Colture Fagher Prosecco Superiore Brut, $17.99 — The Ruggeri family’s vineyards share a border with the famous Cartizze subzone, and the proximity comes through in an impeccably dry, superbly luxuriant sparkler. The freshly baked bread note is a subtle reminder of Le Colture’ top class, while flavors of citrus, apple and slightly bitter almond pour forth on tiny, luminous beads. It’s got a long, dry finish.