Prosecco With Soul: 10 labels to look for

Prosecco is the number one spumante in the world in terms of production, turning out over 500 million bottles: Champagne is at 320 million annually. It isn't easy to find your way in such a multitude, and there are many brands worth ignoring. We have chosen the stand-out Prosecco labels, with a fresh eye for old traditions in a land that has always been great for wine, that breathes wine, with its schools of enology like the one in Conegliano founded at the end of the 19th century. Here's our list of ten labels to look for, ranging from the great classics to the newcomers.

Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Extra Dry Giustino B 2015 Ruggeri & C.

Giustino B, first bottled about 21 years ago, has become a benchmark, a reference point for those who want to know and appreciate Prosecco. The last vintage year gave it intense notes of fruit with a floral presence, the real house characteristic of this wine, lending freshness and delicacy. In the mouth it is the usual elegant and flavorful spumante. Giustino B embodies the spirit of extra dry wines more than any other label.

Valdobbiadene Prosecco Particella 68 2015 Sorelle Bronca

This Valdobbiadene is produced solely using grapes from the vineyard lying in land registry map parcel 68, and is refermented directly from the must. The 2015 vintage offers solid and elegant character with juicy pear notes, tones of green apples and a hint of minerally iodine that gives depth to the palate. It is a wonderfully drinkable and clean Prosecco, with a dynamic palate and excellent length.

Conegliano Valdobbiadene Brut Nature 2015 Silvano Follador

If there is a winery that shows respect and passion for Prosecco, without pursuing commercial success at all costs, it is clearly that of Silvano and Alberta Follador. This characterful Valdobbiadene has a timid olfactory profile that opens slowly on tones of pear and white flowers, but in the mouth, it's another story, and probably the best in the denomination for energy, flavor and acidic backbone. The finish shows good grip and length, perfectly sustained by fizz.

Cartizze Vigna La Rivetta Brut 2015 Villa Sandi

The Grand Cru of Valdobbiadene, Cartizze, produced by Villa Sandi, is one of the benchmark labels for all Prosecco fans. In the Brut version, it displays clean aromas dominated by crisp and juicy white fruit that is perfectly complemented by floral notes. Dry and flavorful, it offers both the classic lightness of Prosecco and qualities of tension and energy.

Grave di Stecca Brut 2012 Nino Franco

Here is a clos in the Prosecco world, the Grave di Stecca vineyard. Its color is intense and deep for the type, and is the prelude to a top-ranking spumante, which proves that the Charmat method can produce quality sparklers. Made wholly with glera grapes grown in Valdobbiadene, it ages in the cellar for a long time, giving us today a complex nose, where more simple fruity notes meet dry flowers and Mediterranean brush. In the mouth it is dry, savory, very creamy and elegant. An aristocratic drink.

Valdobbiadene Extra Dry Castèl 2015 Merotto

A smashing debut for the Merotto's new Prosecco. While all the other wineries are focusing on very dry Prosecco, Graziano turns back and launches the classic Extra Dry. Castel is a spumante of rare precision, intensely fragrant with wisteria and pears. Savory flavor perfectly fuses with bubbles, and sweetness is well calibrated. Amazing.

Valdobbiadene Brut Prior 2015 Bortolomiol

The historic winery in Valdobbiadene bases its solid performance on a close-knit network of growers. It pays great attention to its Brut labels, with Prior at the top. On the nose, notes of apple and pear lead into an energetic palate that requires very little help from the sugars. Dry and savory finish.

Valdobbiadene Rive di Farra di Soligo Brut Col Credas 2015 Adami

Col Credas belongs to the Rive group, the crus of the historic Prosecco zone, particularly noted for its steep terrain. Grapes from the vineyard of the same name release a fresh aromatic expression in the glass, and not only of fruit. There are floral notes and fresh vegetal tones. In the mouth it is solid and energetic with a fascinating finish.

Prosecco Nature Riferentato in bottiglia Nature 2015 Casa Coste Piane

Loris Follador is a faithful custodian of this territory's traditions, indelibly tied to a wine that can be simple, light and satisfying without ever becoming banal. The best grapes in the house are destined for wine that is naturally fermented in the bottle, developing little pressure and remaining cloudy. This year the result is praiseworthy, and the wine is slightly hazy in appearance, then offers aromas of wild flowers and ripe yellow fruit. Remarkably easy to drink and wonderfully flavorful.

Prosecco Col Fondo 2015 Ca’ dei Zago

This is another excellent example of Prosecco Col Fondo (sur lie). This Prosecco maintains a rustic and immediate personality of great impact. The grapes come from a vineyard 400 meters above sea level, with vines that are on the average 50 years old. The soil is clayey and loamy. It is a thirst-quenching Prosecco, with its notes of citrus fruit and yeasts and more rustic tone of dried fruit. The palate is pulpy, with notes of ripe apple and a finish that is subtle but also cutting.

by Lorenzo Ruggeri