Bubbly Both Big, and Big (Postcard from Asolo Prosecco, Part 5)
In wrapping up my features coverage of my 2024 press jaunt to Italy’s Asolo Prosecco region, I’m going to focus on what many of us would consider the more recognizable incarnations of Prosecco: namely, those coming from two big production houses.
Giusti Wine
First up is Giusti Wine, located in Nervesa della Battaglia in a cellar completed in 2020, but who farm ten estates (one famously, and picturesquely, graced with the remains of an old abbey) across 120 acres, mostly on iron-rich soils. Giusti’s founders made their fortune in Canada, but had a home winemaking tradition and eventually returned to Italy to establish the winery.
For a sense of scale, Giusti is big but not enormous: they have about 100 stainless steel tanks in the cellar, in a facility built twenty meters into the ground that’s shaped like the nearby Montello hillsides, and even sports an experimental vineyard on the roof. They produced 700,000 bottles in 2024, are aiming for one million, and plan to eventually build up to 2.5 million bottles, selling excess wine to other producers.
Visiting Giusti is like taking in a bit of Napa Valley-esque opulence in the middle of Asolo. Certainly their setup and decor appeal to the lifestyle crowd. Come to think of it, so do their wines…
2021 Giusti ‘Oro’ Extra Brut, Asolo Prosecco Superiore, $NA
A polished and assertive bubbly, this floral Extra Brut sports notes of apples, biscuit, pears, and almonds. It’s nicely balanced between fresh citrus in the mouth and toasty notes on the finish. I’m not going to call it the most complex Asolo Prosecco Superiore, but it exudes a ton of elegance and polish.
2023 Giusti Extra Brut, Asolo Prosecco Superiore, $19
Green and yellow apple aromas mix with white fig, perfume, flower petals, and lemons in this extremely friendly sparkler. For all of its fruity flamboyance, it doesn’t lack for a sense of elegance and polish, making for a sipper that will quickly turn into a gulper for most of you out there.
2023 Giusti Brut, Asolo Prosecco Superiore, $19
Fine apple and green grape action kicks this off, followed by white flowers and a great sense of purity for the money. Although this is billed as a Brut style, it contains only 5 g/l of sugar, which is pretty close to the 3 g/l amount in their Extra Brut. If you are into drier styles of bubbly, this one over-delivers.
2021 Giusti Tenuta Aria Valentina ‘Matteociei’ Anfara Recantina, Montello Rosso, $NA
This limited edition red is made from an ancient local variety that nearly went extinct. It’s aged in amphora, and presents a nose that’s fresh, mineral, and packed with red fruits, sour black cherry, and graphite. It’s juicy and refined in the mouth, and meaty, with dark chocolate tones and deep red fruit flavors. While the finish could be longer, the structure and vivacity are hard to resist.
Cantina Montelliana
Bringing up the rear we have Cantina Montelliana, a co-operative of 400 growers founded in 1957, that pulls fruit from 700 ha and produces 18 million bottles a year, mostly of Prosecco. They have their own small (4 ha) experimental, organic vineyard on their property (which, with its skyscraper-like steel tanks, is as industrial as Giusti’s is whimsical).
Cantina Montelliana was at the forefront of the introduction of Asolo Prosecco, which had to find a middle point in the wine market between everyday Prosecco and the pricier Prosecco Superiore from Valdobbiadene.
2023 Cantina Montelliana Millesimato Extra Dry, Asolo Prosecco Superiore, $NA
Sourced from Montello, this sparkler has a nice combo of salinity and floral lift, underscored by pear fruits. The palate is raging with freshness, but has a bit of creamy roundness to the edges to temper all of its vivacity.
NV Cantina Montelliana ’57’ Extra Dry, Asolo Prosecco Superiore, $17
Made from grapes culled from Colli do Asolo, there’s nice purity of Granny Smith apple fruit on this Prosecco, with hints of apple skin and jasmine. Again, the freshness is the focus, and this crowd-pleaser will match well with a lot of foods (so it’s a good one for the Turkey Day table).
2023 Cantina Montelliana Asolo Prosecco, $NA
This is exclusive to their shop, but it’s still worth talking about because it’s lovely. This selection of their best grapes is limited to about 7,000 bottles/year, and sports a fruity (pears, grape, apples) and floral (acacia) nose that comes on strong… BUT… It all leads to a palate that is delicate, toasty, and elegant.
NV Cantina Montelliana ‘4.07’ Spumante Extra Dry, Veneto, $NA
Sourced from their small organic vineyard on-site, this bubbly is made from fungus-resistant varieties. Delicate, with light tropical fruit tones, it sports a focused, linear palate that has excellent purity and is just f*cking delicious.
Cheers!
