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Asolo Tasting Notes
For Your Pleasure
What could possibly make the trip to Asolo complete? I've got say that a list of some of the most memorable wines we tried. The ones below are only a tip of the sparkling iceberg we were introduced to by the various producers, restaurant owners and area specialists. I'm sure that my fellow journalists will have formed their own opinions and picked the wines they enjoyed the most, and that is fine, because in the world of wine there is room for everybody's opinion.
My criteria started with the mousse, because for most people, it's the excitement they feel as they watch streams of continuous bubbles break for the surface of the wine. Did these wines show themself well in this area?
Taste and smell are, as always, important factors in the process, and I was constantly surprised by how elegant the wines we had were, and how unlike other Proseccos I've come across. They deserve a wider audience because of this difference, and I hope they find it.
You'll notice that, for once, I've avoided giving marks for the wines I tried, and that's because the consistency I found would not be served by an extra mark here or there. It would seem too churlish!
Before I stop yakking, I must say a massive thank you to Studio Cru. They not only organised a top trip, they kept things light, interesting, full of variety, and engaged with each of us.
So to Beatrice and Elena, keep doing what you're doing, and thank you for opening our eyes to such variety and possibilities coming out of Asolo.
Asolo Manor – 2021
Mousse – Has a longevity that lasted the whole tasting and just kept coming up to say hello. The bubbles continued to cover a large area of the glass.
Nose - There was a salinity that I found so interesting. Buckets of apple and green fruit were tart and welcome. In the backend there were hints of restraint, and the balanced acidity made this a juicy and floral number.
In the mouth the bold fruit settled quickly, and gave a chance for straw, pear and cream to breath.
What I really think sets this wine apart is an interestingly cloudy body that might put some people off, but which I found added to the stone taste.
Martignago – Vignaioli NV
Mousse - This was okay, but went as soon as it came up to the surface.
Nose - I got big sliced, crisp apples, pear syrup, tropical (banana) fruit, and then the apple became a warm apple pie.
Taste - This was livelier than a barrel load of monkeys high on life. Childhood memories of cream soda, and a strong presence of minerals. Suddenly I'm getting baby greens in a wine that is very dry.
Tenuta d’Asolo Progress
With bubbles that stick around like a welcome guest, this wine is sure to please when you pour it for friends. The tartness is there, but it doesn't hold the wine hostage.
On the nose, my favourite Apple Charlotte makes a welcome return, but this time the cream comes from Chantilly.
There an interesting hint of lime somewhere in the mix, and a taste of pastry crust and baked goodies.
Tenuta Balzan NV
From the start this wine had more breeding than the British Royal Family. The mousse was beautifully long lasting and as epic as watching 'Ben Hur' on the big screen.
Nose - The citrus veered towards lemon zest, and a wonderful reminder of the sherbet and sour sweets I loved as a child.
In the mouth the sherbet lemon just grew bolder, and among the rivers of viscous fruit, I found grapefruit to be the most prominent.
Verdi Terre di Caine
Let's start with a mousse that is strong around the edge of the glass, and clumps together in small islands around the edge.
There's a deep, almost woody colour to this wine that once again shows the range of Asolo Prosecco being produced.
When you take a smell there is bees wax up front, then fresh rain, before settling into tropical pineapple and baby pears.
It's a big and bumptious number like a baby who can't keep still. Wait a moment! Is that lettuce and tangy cheddar starting to come through? Wow!
Montelliana 2022
These Asolo wines certainly like to grab the attention from the very start, and this is no different as the bubbles are a point of such long-lasting interest that I'm just staring at them as my fellow tasters have moved on to the scent and the taste. If this was a film, it would be one of those big budget productions with an exciting start.
Now this is usual, because I'm getting vapours of light pine and creamy rhubarb that reminds me of an English country garden.
As I take a sip, I find it rich, and tangy after a tight, enclosed start that I thought wasn't going anywhere.
Leterre 2022
The mousse is strong and long, and almost sings as the bubbles rise like a symphony.
The nose is cream cake and pear syrup. Then the green fruit reminds me of a beautiful walk in an orchard as one might nibble a piece of mild cheese before moving on to
yellow apple and quince.
Villa Sandi - La Gioiosa Asolo Prosecco
The last two recommendations come from the beautiful location of Villa Sandi. These are people who produce a variety of traditional Prosecco, but what are they bringing to this Asolo party?
The bubbles are good, firm ,decent and lead to an exciting length
Take in that scent and let it linger because you'll initially get a crisp, fresh, golden delicious apple, but this isn't becoming bland. It's taken the promise of what potential that variety might have and run with it.
Swill it around your mouth and the apple grows and feels as ripe as is possible to achieve.
Asolo Prosecco Superiore
The second from Villa Sandi that we tried, and once again I'd recommend you to try this. It's a mixture of 'Sandi' acumen and the terroir of Asolo that is almost at the top of the game.
The mousse has a good, decent length with islands of bubbles floating gently in the glass.
There's a nose of pungent yellow apple, icing sugar, and I find that the wine has a silky body with real structure coursing throughout.
When you taste, all the flavours you'd expect are there, and the great structure of the wine continues and starts to lean towards a slightly sour lemon.
