Re-Thinking Sweetness Levels in Prosecco Superiore DOCG

Jun 25, 2018 | Blog

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I confess to having shifted in my thinking about residual sweetness in high quality Prosecco Superiore DOCG, and based on tastings in Italy in May, I’ve become pretty settled in my altered view.  After first encountering a fair number of bottles that achieved balanced excellence without much sugar on three previous trips, I started to look down a bit at ones with more of it, both because I knew it wasn’t strictly necessary and also because sugar can be used to cover minor flaws. 

However, after tasting hundreds of higher-end Proseccos in recent years at all levels of sweetness, I’ve gradually come to the conclusion that the grape variety actually seems most natural and harmonious when finished with residual sugar levels approaching (or at) the “Extra Dry” bottling designation. 

The light floral aromas of Glera (as the grape is now called officially, after “Prosecco” was changed from a varietal name to a geographic indicator) seem more expressive in wines of this type, and the flavors seem fuller and more generous, and even the wines’ texture seems different…“fluffier” even though the flavors seem fuller. 

Among the producers I visited on this most recent trip was Adami, and the house’s “Dei Casel” offers a great case in point while also offering an illuminating opportunity for experimentation.  The Adami wines are well represented by Dalla Terra in the USA, and are widely available across the country, making it possible to taste this head-to-head (preferably “blind") along with the extremely dry “Col Credas” Brut as well as the notably drier “Bosco di Gica” Brut. 

Regarding your conclusion from this tasting experiment, I don’t want to “lead the witness” (as they say in legal circles), but neither do I wish to be coy.  Stated simply, I “admire” the Brut wines more because I know they are more difficult to craft in a way that results in harmonious, balanced bubbly.  But in purely hedonistic terms, I "enjoy" the “Dei Castel” Extra Dry every bit as much, as it offers at least as much pleasure, if not more. 

Although it is often true that drier wines can be enjoyed for a longer duration, and that sweeter ones can become a bit tiring after the first glass, that’s not uniformly the case, nor is it a fixed reality that isn’t subject to other factors. 

For example, I’ve found that wines in the Prosecco Superiore Extra Dry category harmonize beautifully with the smoky, spicy, salty flavors of charcuterie.  So, if you’re in a mood to experiment, don’t just try the Adami wines side-by-side, but extend your lab work to a sampling of the “Dei Castel” Extra Dry with some spicy salami and a few slices of good Proscuitto di Parma … and see if you can resist a second glass of the wine.

Here are reviews of the three Adami wines I’ve used as examples here, running from the driest to the sweetest.  All three are excellent, if very different from one another.  If you’ve tended to look down on sweeter sparklers, tasting these three with an open mind may have the effect of…changing your mind.

Adami, Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG, Veneto, Italy Rive di Farra di Soligo “Col Credas” Brut 2017 ($22, imported by Dalla Terra):  This exceptional wine is very close to as good as Brut Prosecco can be.   For starters, it is truly bone dry at just 2 to 4 grams per liter of residual sugar, yet it neither comes off as austere nor finishes with any bitterness, as often happens when Glera is finished with essentially no sugar.  Additionally, it shows the light floral aromas appropriate to the grape variety but doesn’t produce the phenomenon that professional tasters call “disagreement,” when a dry finish clashes with aromas that promise more sweetness than the wine delivers.  Thanks to fine bubbles, restrained fruit, and acidity that provides a fresh edge without turning sharp, one’s comprehensive sense of this is that the wine is brilliantly balanced and harmonious, which is a very impressive achievement in a wine made in this style.  92

Adami, Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG, Veneto, Italy, “Bosco di Gica” Brut NV ($18):  Certainly among the best DOCG Bruts (8 – 10 grams per liter of sugar) sold in the USA that isn’t a “Rive” bottling from a single village, this offers excellent quality at a very reasonable price.  It can’t match the substance or breadth on the palate of Adami’s “Col Credas,” but the acid balance is every bit as precise, and the mousse is actually a little finer in texture.  This is high-class Prosecco that still offers a lot of fun, both because it is so easy to sip but also because it is so easy to pay for with a clean conscience.  90

Adami, Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG, Veneto, Italy, “Dei Casel” Extra Dry NV ($18):  Although Adami’s Brut Prosecco Superiore wines are undeniably excellent, this bottling seems a bit more luxurious by comparison…despite being less expensive.  The scents of fresh blossoms are very expressive and the flavors are open and generous, with a wonderfully foamy, "fluffy" texture to the finish.  My descriptors here could mislead you into thinking that this wine might be a bit like a too-soft mattress or a car with overly cushy suspension, so let me head off that misunderstanding immediately:  There’s plenty of energetic acidity here, giving the wine excellent definition and "cut" for a relatively sweet sparkler, and the resulting balance between juiciness and fresh edginess is the key to its delicious success.  91



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