2008
in Veneto
Prosecco
The
new vintage of Montesel Prosecco has arrived. We are excited to share
this beautiful item with Michigan wine drinkers. There is something
inimitable about fresh, hand-harvested Prosecco farmed with low yields.
One finds an abundant sense of honey and floral aromas which are hallmarks
of this fickle grape, but when drunk this fresh the bracing acidity
somehow makes the flavors seem perfectly dry and decorated with chalk
flavored minerality.
It
is important to stress that Prosecco compares with Champagne only
crudely at best. Prosecco is not made to be like Chapmagne. Hypothetically,
the barrels and bottle refermentation identified with Champagne, besides
adding to the cost, would obliterate the freshness and delicacy of
the Prosecco variety. There are some Champagne method wines produced
in this region, but they tend to be made with Chardonnay.
2008
Quality
2008
was a complicated vintage. There were threats in the spring from mildew
and in the fall from hail. But in 2008 hand produced wines like Montesel
have an opportunity to show a more obvious gap in quality between
them and products of larger scale agriculture.
Renzo and Vania Montesel are the producers of Montesel's 2008 Prosecco
di Conegliano Valdobbiadene.
History
Ancient
etymology suggests that “Conegliano” derives from “Colle di Giano”
which translates as "the hills of Japheth."
Japheth was the third son of Genesis' Noah, the discoverer and avid
consumer of viticulture and winemaking. Conegliano is the institutional
center of Prosecco culture and one of the most important oenelogical
centers of Italy. In 1969 the Conegliano-Valdobbiadene area was recognized
as the only zone authorized to produce Prosecco D.O.C. and today Prosecco
is the best selling sparkling wine in Italy.
The
Prosecco vine is indigenous and has been cultivated in the hills of
Conegliano-Valdobbiadene since 1800. Its origins are linked to “Pucino,”
a wine that was well known and appreciated in Roman times. Here the
vines grow in their ideal environment; the composition of soil, hills
exposed to plenty of sunlight, frequent and abundant rainfall, constant
mild temperatures between April and October and strong marked variations
in temperature in the ripening period.
Biology
Prosecco
grapes grow in large bunches and are round or slightly oval. When
ripe they are yellow with a thin skin which releases a rich perfume
during the late grape harvest. The timing of the harvest followed
by a carefully monitored vinification, do the rest.
During
the preparation of Prosecco the most important rule is to respect
what nature has given and keep any technical intervention to an absolute
minimum. The grapes are pressed gently to obtain the best must and
then left to rest for 10-12 hours at a controlled temperature. It
is then decanted, yeasts are added, and its left to ferment at 18-20
° C. The result is a richly scented wine
Attraction
After
a few months of natural refermentation Prosecco made in this manner
becomes a beautiful wine that overwhelms the palate with a velvety
softness and a lively effervescence. It is straw-colored with a fruity
scent of peach, apple, pear and a hint of citrus fruits which tend
toward a floral fragrance; rich and fresh sensation.
Served
chilled, the Montesel Prosecco is an apéritif “par excellence,” also
a perfect accompaniment to soups, pastas with delicate sauces, fresh
cheese and fine white meats.
Prosecco's
sales in the United States have multiplied in recent decades. The
surge in demand invariably will force a differentiation in qualities,
as mass producers, in Italy and in other countries, seek to get on
the bandwagon.
From
The New York Times:
