Bottega Gold Prosecco (Italy) - Wine Review

Tonight's shiny sparkling wine review was recently listed as a VINTAGES Essentials product at the LCBO and is now widely available all year round across Ontario.

It is produced by Bottega, a family-owned, third generation company led by Barbara, Sandro, and Stefano Bottega in Bibano, Treviso, north of Venice, that has been producing premium quality, typical Italian wines, grappa, spirits and food products since 1977. The headquarters are located in a 19th century farmhouse that was renovated to preserve the original architectural and environmental characteristics, and is surrounded by 10 hectares of vineyards.

Bottega Gold is a premium quality Italian Prosecco characterized by its shiny, iconic metallized bottle, an idea that was conceived by Sandro Bottega in 2000 to create an eye-catching package for their premium quality Prosecco. However, this Prosecco is more than just a fancy bottle.

Even though this bottle is labelled as DOC, the Bottega Gold is actually the higher designated DOCG - where the native Glera grapes used for Prosecco are grown (in a mix of old and new vines) and hand-picked in Valdobbiadene within the heart of the DOCG area. It is labelled as DOC because Italian regulations preclude Bottega’s gold-plated bottle from being labelled as a DOCG.

This Prosecco undergoes a single fermentation, directly transforming the grape must into sparkling wine, followed by a second fermentation in autoclaves (pressurized tanks) with the addition of selected yeasts for approximately 40 days. This unique method is known as the Charmat-Martinotti method and helps preserves freshness and all of the characteristics that the Glera varietal is known for, such as white flowers, green apple, pear and citrus.

Tasting Note:

BOTTEGA GOLD PROSECCO - DOC, Veneto, Italy (#621458) (D) - $27.95
Faint aromas of pear, white peach, citrus and floral from the glass. The palate has an initial crispness, giving way to frothy, mouthfilling mousse and flavours of pear, floral, and citrus with just a touch of sweetness. There's good structure and balanced acidity. It's also nicely balanced throughout with lingering citrus notes on the finish that veers towards dry, with good length. A well-made Prosecco that can be enjoyed at the table. Score: 87 pts