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Prosecco Masters 2017: the results

This year’s Prosecco Masters showed that despite the rapid expansion in the sector, quality across the board has risen, with the wines having improved since 2016’s competition. By Patrick Schmitt MW

Ask any member of the wine trade to name the European drinks phenomenon of our time, and one can be pretty sure they will mention Prosecco.

A drink that barely existed 20 years ago has become the best-selling fizz in major sparkling-wine markets, such as the US, Germany, and particularly the UK.

Indeed, it’s now outselling Pinot Grigio in Britain, while in several European nations, Prosecco is one of the few areas of the wine business in growth, single-handedly propping up markets that would otherwise be showing a decline in drinks consumption.

But ask those same people why Prosecco has become so successful and one can expect a range of responses. Some credit the drink’s popularity to the catchy name, others its Italian origin, or the stand-out packaging.

But the basic, simple reason for the impressive performance for this single type of fizz is the nature of the liquid – it’s a pleasing, slightly sweet fizz with a pear and peach flavour. Importantly, it’s not demanding of the drinker; Prosecco succeeds because it is simple. Indeed, it is proof that a drink doesn’t have to be sophisticated to give pleasure.

However, that doesn’t mean it’s all the same.

About the competition

The drinks business Prosecco Masters, now in its fourth year, is a competition exclusively for the Italian sparkling wine. This year’s event saw more than 100 entries judged blind by a panel of highly experienced tasters. The best wines were awarded medals that ranged from Bronze through to Gold, as well as Master, the ultimate accolade, given only to exceptional wines in the tasting. The Proseccos were tasted over the course of one day at Café Murano in London’s Covent Garden on 15 March. This report features only the medal-winners.

BEST EXPRESSIONS
And with that in mind, in 2015, we launched the Prosecco Masters. As with all our Masters tasting competitions, the aim is to uncover as much as possible about any single category.

Our plan is to understand not only the overall level of quality, but also the sweet spot in terms of price, and the broad stylistic trends. Finally, importantly, we want to know who is producing the best expressions today.

To deal with the overall quality level first, it was pleasing to discover in this year’s Prosecco Masters that not only is the base standard high, but also a marked improvement on last year’s competition.

The number of medals confirms this, but the general impression from the judges, a number of whom had judged in previous Prosecco Masters, was that, at all levels, this is a better product. And this came as something of a surprise, because, as is often the case, rapid sales expansion doesn’t usually correlate with increasing quality, quite simply because when there is a rush to supply demand, producers can be tempted to push yields, speed up winemaking processes, and over the longer term, plant in places less suited to the production of high-quality grapes.

But with this year’s competition producing 21 Gold medals and five Masters – the highest accolade reserved for outstanding examples only – it is clear that Prosecco is managing to ramp up supply without sacrificing quality, that is, based on the entries assessed in this year’s tasting.

However, and touching on the second point raised above – which is, finding a sweet spot in terms of price versus quality – it was notable that the inexpensive DOC-classified Proseccos (as opposed to the pricier DOCG examples) were a source of very good fizz.

As one of the judges, Italian wine expert Alex Canetti, said: “The base level was really good, which is great, because that’s what really counts.”

Interestingly, not all the DOCG Proseccos, which must come from the hilly areas of either Conegliano Valdobbiadene or Asolo, showed an overt step up in quality. So, while DOC Proseccos under £15 received seven Gold medals, DOCG expressions beneath the same price point picked up three.

However, with just one Master awarded to a DOC Prosecco, and four to DOCG examples, one can see that the best sites really do produce the top-level wines.

As one judge, Nick Tatham MW – another Italian wine expert – said after the tasting: “There is certainly a grey area between DOC and DOCG: towards the top end of the DOCG, where the Proseccos were at higher price points, there was a significant difference in quality, but at lower price points the difference between DOC and DOCG was not clear: we tasted some very good DOC Proseccos and then we went on to try some disappointing DOCGs.”

Similarly, sparking-wine expert Roberto della Pietra, who also judged in the competition, said he was “pleasantly surprised by the high quality of the DOC Prosecco”, noting “the great fruit and great balance”. Like Tatham, he said that he was “expecting more of a step up to DOCG.”

GREATER SUPPLY
So what was key to DOC quality? Well, with so much planting over the past five years in the valley floors across this vast zone – the Prosecco DOC covers five provinces in the Veneto and a further four in Fruili Venezia Giulia – there is a much greater supply of grapes, giving producers the opportunity to select the best bunches across a large area.

In other words, the DOC may not encompass the hilly terroir that benefits the DOCG’s best expressions, but the DOC gives producers the chance to select grapes from a diverse range of sites to create something that is balanced and consistent. Or, put simply, as Canetti says: “Producers of DOC Prosecco have access to more fruit.” Also aiding the quality of Prosecco at all levels, and particularly the entry point, is the pristine winemaking processes in this part of Italy.

Canetti explains: “All the top stainless-steel tanks, the best presses, and general winemaking technology comes from northern Italy, so Prosecco benefits from that.” Agreeing, judge Jonathan Pedley MW added: “With the help of stateof-the-art technology, the Italians are able to make something as clean as a whistle, as well as carefully selecting yeasts to accentuate Prosecco’s aromas.” On the subject of aroma, as well as flavour, it seems that, broadly speaking, Prosecco seems to be becoming fruitier, peachier even, and less sweet.

Prosecco classifications

> The Prosecco DOC production area covers the northeast Italian territories of: in the Veneto, five provinces (Treviso, Venice, Vicenza, Padua, Belluno), and in Friuli Venezia Giulia, four provinces (Gorizia, Pordenone, Trieste and Udine).
> Prosecco DOC totals approximately 20,000 hectares.
> Prosecco Conegliano Valdobbiadene Superiore DOCG covers the Treviso province of Veneto on the hills between the towns of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, while there is also the smaller Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG, produced near the town of Asolo.
> Prosecco DOCG totals approximately 6,600ha.
> Superiore di Cartizze is a hill within the Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG which is famous for producing the most concentrated expression of Prosecco – and often too, the sweetest. It covers 107ha and is home to the most expensive vineyard land in Italy, with an estimated value of €1.5m-€2m per hectare.
> While Cartizze is at the top of the Prosecco Superiore DOCG quality pyramid, the Consorzio recently-introduced the Rive delimitations, which are named after particular sub-zones with distinct and high-quality terroirs.

In the past, when deriding the drink, it was tempting to dismiss it as smelling of fermentation esters (pear drops/banana) and tasting of sugar, but based on this year’s tasting, it seems Prosecco has much more character from the raw material, rather than production process, and a more refreshing precise edge, as richer fruit flavours allow for lower sugar levels.

But this is not to suggest that the majority of Prosecco has become much more complex.

Indeed, the judges agreed that while the quality of the wines was impressive, Prosecco is still, for the most part, a jolly and unsophisticated drink.

“Charm is what we want and get from Prosecco,” said Canetti, adding: “It’s all about fun with your friends.” Nodding in agreement, Tatham added: “It’s important that Prosecco has immediate appeal,” suggesting that there wasn’t a place for subtlety in this category.

Nevertheless, there were stand-out Proseccos from the blind tasting, examples with plenty of personality, layers of flavour, and a lovely acid-sugar balance.

Notable among the DOC examples was Martini’s 2016 vintage Prosecco, which the judges applauded for its mix of fresh fruits and floral scent, and its pristine lively character, although other producers in this classification were close in terms of quality.

WOWING THE JUDGES
Moving onto the DOCG Proseccos, La Marca wowed the judges among the examples between £15 and £20, although there were plenty of excellent wines in this price band.

Over £20, and the superior nature of Italy’s best sites for the Prosecco region’s Glera grape shone through, despite the high number of strong entries this year.

And, as a result, we saw Riunite’s Rive Prosecco take home a Master for its Colbertaldo. Also, Borgo Molino achieved this ultimate accolade for its Prosecco from the DOCG of Asolo, a hilly and picturesque area that generally produces fruitier styles than the more famous Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG Prosecco.

As for the final Master of the day, nestled among the many Gold medallists was an exceptional Cartizze, from Foss Marai, which combined the rich, plush-textured sweetness one would expect from this revered pinnacle sub-region of Prosecco, combined with a mouth-watering lime-zest finish. After the last of the Proseccos had been sampled, the judges agreed it had been a highly enjoyable tasting, featuring wines with plenty of instant appeal.

It had proved that Italian producers are mastering the Glera grape in the vineyard, and honing their winemaking skills to get the most from this delicate variety.

Also, at the top end, it showed that some Prosecco producers are successfully extending the boundaries of quality with this fruity, youthful, sparkling wine style. So, while this Charmat-method fizz is not a rich, ageworthy product for pairing with powerfully-flavoured foods, it is, when grown in the right place, and handled with care, a brilliant apéritif; a drink with plenty of character, a crowd-pleasing creamy texture, and an uplifting citrus zest.

• See below for a list of the judges and the following pages for all the medal-winning Proseccos in this year’s competition. 

Left to right: Anthony Foster MW, Jonathan Pedley MW; Nick Tatham MW;
Roberto della Pietra; Patricia Stefanowicz MW; Patrick Schmitt MW; Alex Canetti

Prosecco DOC

Company Product name Vintage Medal
Under £10
Botter Prosecco DOC Spumante Botter NV Gold
Castello di Roncade Prosecco Extra Dry NV Gold
Cantina Colli Euganei Prosecco Spumante Extra Dry DOC 2016 Silver
Enrico Bedin Adalina by Enrico Bedin Prosecco Frizzante NV Silver
Casa Gheller Prosecco DOC Treviso 2015 Silver
Casa Vinironia Casa Vinironia Prosecco NV Silver
Mionetto i heart Prosecco NV Silver
Botter Prosecco DOC Spumante Bio Divici NV Silver
Ca’ di Rajo Alba Nera – Ca’Di Rajo NV Silver
Zonin UK Prosecco Zonin NV Silver
Antonio Facchin Dalla Balla Nob Giuseppina Prosecco DOC Extra Dry NV Silver
Beato Bartolomeo Breganze Prosecco Spumante Extra Dry DOC NV Silver
Mionetto Mionetto Treviso Brut NV Bronze
Bisol Desiderio & Figli Bel Star Brut NV Bronze
Casa Vinicola Bosco Malera Prosecco Spumante DOC Extra Dry Bosco Dei Cirmioli NV Bronze
Lidl Ireland Prosecco Treviso DOC Frizzante – La Marca Vini e Spumanti 2016 Bronze
Castello di Roncade Prosecco Brut NV Bronze
Villa Degli Olmi Prosecco DOC Spumante Extra Dry Villa Degli Olmi NV Bronze
Cantina Colli del Soligo Soligo Prosecco DOC Treviso Extra Dry NV Bronze
Casa Vinironia Prosecco Pizzolato NV Bronze
£10-£15
Giusti Rosalia Prosecco DOC Treviso NV Gold
FIOL FIOL – Prosecco DOC NV Gold
Raphael dal Bo Prosecco DOC Treviso Extra Dry NV Gold
I Magredi Ca’Lisetta Prosecco DOC Extra Dry NV Gold
Vinicola Serena Prosecco DOC Treviso Millesimato ‘Ville D’Arfanta’ 2016 Gold
San Simone di Brisotto Prosecco DOC Brut ‘Il Concerto’ NV Silver
San Simone di Brisotto Prosecco DOC Brut Millesimato ‘Perlae Naonis’ 2015 Silver
Azienda Agricola Biasiotto Prosecco Spumante DOC Andrea Biasiotto Millesimato 2016 Silver
Cantine Riunite Maschio Dei Cavalieri Prosecco Denominazione di Origine Controllata Treviso Extra Dry NV Silver
Torresella Prosecco DOC Extra Dry NV Silver
Masottina Prosecco DOC Treviso Extra Dry NV Silver
Casa Vinicola Abbazia Prosecco Abbazia NV Silver
Fantinel Prosecco DOC Extra Dry NV Silver
Colvendra Ca’ de Man – Prosecco DOC Extra Dry NV Silver
Mabis Prosecco DOC Biscardo NV Silver
V8+ Sior Carlo Prosecco DOC Millesimato Brut 2016 Silver
CAVIT Lunetta Prosecco DOC Brut NV Silver
Mabis Prosecco Spumante DOC Bella Modella NV Silver
Cantine Vitevis ‘Romeo’ Prosecco DOC Spumante Extra Dry NV Silver
Piera Martellozzo Prosecco Millesimato DOC Spuamante Extra Dry 075 Carati NV Silver
Raphael dal Bo Organic Prosecco DOC Treviso Extra Dry NV Silver
La Marca Vini e Spumanti Prosecco Spumante DOC TV Millage 2016 Silver
Masottina Masottina Prosecco DOC Treviso Brut NV Bronze
La Jara Company Spumante Prosecco DOC Extra Dry NV Bronze
The Wine Team Global P.Lex Prosecco Brut NV Bronze
MA.S.P.A Vallate Prosecco DOC Brut NV Bronze
Cantine Riunite Maschio Prosecco Denominazione di Origine Controllata Treviso Extra Dry NV Bronze
Ca’di Rajo Prosecco DOC Treviso Extra Dry 2016 Bronze
MA.S.P.A Vallate Prosecco DOC Extra Dry NV Bronze
Salatin Prosecco DOC Treviso Extra Dry NV Bronze
V8+ Sior Sandro Prosecco DOC Extra Dry NV Bronze
Casa Vinicola Abbazia Prosecco Abbazia Fiorino NV Bronze
£15-£20
Martini & Rossi Martini Prosecco Premium 2016 Master
Maccari Spumanti Prosecco DOC Extra Dry Duplavilis 2015 Gold
Mabis Biscardo Millesimato Il Prosecco DOC 2016 Silver
Fantinel ‘One & Only’ Prosecco DOC Millesimato Brut 2016 Silver
Maccari Spumanti Prosecco DOC Extra Dry Millesimato 2016 Bronze
£20-£30
Bottega Bottega Gold 2016 Silver
£50
Bottega Bottega Stardust 2016 Gold

Prosecco DOCG

Company Product name Vintage Medal
Under £10
Lidl Ireland Prosecco Spumante Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG – La Marca Vini e Spumanti 2016 Silver
Villa Sandi Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG Spumante Extra Dry Millesimato Biodiversity, La Gioiosa 2016 Silver
£10-£15
Giusti Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG Extra Dry NV Gold
Conte Collalto Collalto Extra Dry 2016 Gold
Val d’Oca Uvaggio Storico Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG 2015 Gold
Italian Appellations Rocco Venezia Prosecco Superiore DOCG Brut NV Silver
Giusti Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG Brut NV Silver
Bisol Desiderio & Figli Jeio Valdobbiandene Brut NV Silver
Case Bianche Vigna del Cuc Prosecco Superiore Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG Brut 2015 Silver
Villa Sandi Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG Spumante Brut Millesimato 2016 2016 Silver
Azienda Vitivinicola Il Colle Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG Extra Dry Il Colle NV Silver
Andreola ‘Mas de Fer’ Rive Di Soligo Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG Spumante Extra Dry 2016 Silver
Val d’Oca Rive di Colbertado Val d’Oca Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG 2015 Silver
Casa Gheller Casa Gheller Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG 2015 Silver
Andreola ‘26°1°’ Rive Di Col San Martino Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG Spumante Brut 2016 Silver
Terre di San Venanzio Fortunato Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG Brut 2016 Silver
Val d’Oca Rive di San Pietro di Barbozza Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG Val d’Oca 2016 Silver
Spumante Gemin Prosecco DOCG Superiore Brut NV Silver
Conte Collalto Collalto Brut 2016 Silver
Ca’di Rajo Prosecco Superiore DOCG Valdobbiadene Millesimato Extra Dry 2016 Silver
Terre di San Venanzio Fortunato Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG Extra Dry 2016 Silver
Spumante Gemin Prosecco DOCG Superiore Extra Dry NV Silver
Bottega Il Vino Dei Poeti Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore 2016 Silver
Cantina Montelliana Montelliana Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG Extra Brut 2016 Bronze
Andreola ‘Vigneto Dirupo’ Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG Spumante Brut 2016 Bronze
Case Bianche Extra Dry Prosecco Superiore Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG 2015 Bronze
Bortolomiol Prior Bortolomiol Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG 2015 Bronze
Gruppo Italian Vini Bolla Conegliano Valdobbiadone Prosecco DOCG NV Bronze
Bortolomiol Senior Bortolomiol Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG 2015 Bronze
Gold Top Media Gancia Prosecco DOCG NV Bronze

Prosecco DOCG (continued)

Company Product name Vintage Medal
£15-£20
La Marca Vini e Spumanti Conegliano – Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG Cuvée 2016 Master
Colvendrà Gran Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG Brut NV Gold
Salatin Prosecco Superiore DOCG Valdobbiadene Extra Dry Millesimato 2016 Gold
Cantina Montelliana Montelliana ‘57’ Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG 2016 Gold
Raphael dal Bo Prosecco Superiore DOCG Conegliano-Valdobbiadene Millesimato 2016, Extra Dry 2016 Gold
Case Bianche UNDICI Prosecco Superiore Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG Dry 2015 Gold
San Vettor Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG Spumante Extra Dry 2015 Silver
La Marca Vini e Spumanti Prosecco Spumante DOCG Conegliano – Valdobbiadene Millesimato 2016 Silver
Masottina Masottina ‘Costabella Brut Biologico’ Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG Prosecco Superiore NV Silver
Follador Follador Prosecco Superiore Extra Dry NV Silver
Raphael dal Bo Prosecco Superiore DOCG Conegliano-Valdobbiadene, Extra Dry NV Silver
Raphael dal Bo Prosecco Superiore DOCG Conegliano-Valdobbiadene, Brut NV Silver
Masottina Masottina ‘Conegliano Valdobbiadene Brut’ Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG Prosecco Superiore NV Silver
Maccari Spumanti Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG Extra Dry Spumante Millesimato 2015 Silver
Raphael dal Bo Prosecco Superiore DOCG Conegliano – Valdobbiadene Millesimato 2015, Brut 2015 Bronze
Masottina ‘Conegliano Valdobbiadene Extra Dry’ Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG Prosecco Superiore NV Bronze
Bisol Desiderio & Figli Bisol Crede Brut 2015 Bronze
£20-£30
Borgo Molino Vigne & Vini Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG Brut 2016 Master
Cantine Riunite Rive di Colbertaldo 2016 Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG 2016 Master
Fattoria Conca d’Oro Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG Millesimato Extra Dry 2016 Gold
Masottina Masottina ‘Le Rive Di Ogliano’ Extra Dry Rive Di Ogliano Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG Prosecco 2015 Gold
Borgo Antico de Marchesin Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG Prosecco Superiore Millesimato Brut 2016 Silver
Fattoria Conca d’Oro Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG Spumante Brut Fattoria Conca D’oro di Cimetta Francesco 2016 Silver
Aware Company Prosecco 900 DOCG Valdobbiandene 2016 Silver
Marsuret Valdobbiadene DOCG Extra Dry ‘Il Soller’ NV Silver
Borgo Antico de Marchensin Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG Prosecco Superiore Millesimato Dry 2016 Silver
Masottina ‘Contrada Granda’ Brut Rive Di Ogliano Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG Prosecco Superiore 2015 Bronze

Prosecco Cartizze

Company Product name Vintage Medal
£10-£15
Astoria ‘Arzana’ Valdobbiadene D.O.C.G di Cartizze Dry 2016 Gold
£20-£30
Bisol Desiderio & Figli Bisol Cartizze Dry 2015 Gold
£30-£50
Foss Marai Foss Marai Valdobbiadene Superiore di Cartizze 2016 Master
Bisol Desiderio & Figli Private Cartizze 2013 Silver

One response to “Prosecco Masters 2017: the results”

  1. Justin H. says:

    Is this Prosecco available in the USA?

    Foss Marai Valdobbiadene Superiore di Cartizze 2016

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