Serenity and Chaos (Postcard from Asolo Prosecco Superiore, Part 2)
Welcome to Part 2 of the reports from my media trip earlier this summer to Italy’s Asolo Prosecco Superiore region. You can check out Part 1 here before you get too excited about Part 2, okay?? Anyway, let’s start featuring some of the more interesting producers from that jaunt:
Tenuta d’Asolo Progress
For this trip, we were put up at the Tenuta d’Asolo Progress wine resort, which was as lovely a hilltop hamlet as it sounds from the name. Their nine-suite B&B opened up in 2022, but Progress also has all-estate plantings and a winery facility on the premises, including some small plantings of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier (Dennis Borden, who is the person behind Progress, apparently is a big Champagne buff). Their first harvest was in 2021, and they make about 80,000 bottles a year from six vineyards (along with a bit of very tasty olive oil), all of it Organic.
Their facility was absolutely eat-off-the-floor pristine when I toured it, so much so that it was almost difficult to envision it as a working winery (which it most certainly is). If Progress seems like a former-CEO vanity project, it’s a very, very good one.
2023 Col del Sol Extra Brut, Asolo Prosecco Superiore, $NA
Progress’ Col del Sol line uses what they call the long Charmat method, extended to six months on the lees. This shows off the additional structure and biscuit nuances imparted by that extended method. White grapes, white flowers, good mineraltiy, and hints of rose petals on a long finish mark this fine, fresh bubbly (which sees some co-fermentation with Pinot Noir), which has a sultry character and an admirably long finish.
2022 Col del Sol Extra Dry, Asolo Prosecco Superiore, $NA
This elegant bubbly is reserved, with red berry hints (from the Pinot Noir inclusion, presumably—the percentages are kept low enough, however, to still classify for the DOCG). Citrus, stone fruits, florals, a lovely texture, and a long finish… Basically, this can instantly upscale your Tuesday night.
2023 Col d’Acelum Brut, Asolo Prosecco Superiore, $AA
The Col d’Acelum line is for Progress’ traditoinal Charmat method bubbles. Made from 100% Glera, this one is assertive on the nose, with stone fruits, green grapes, and peaches. Freshness, mineral tinges, and a crispy texture make it incredibly appealing.
2023 Col d’Acelum Extra Dry, Asolo Prosecco Superiore, $NA
A floral, fruity, a very expressive Prosecco here; again, the stone fruits show up, along with blossom notes, excellent purity, and irresistible primary aromas and flavors. All in all, it maintains poise as it remains delicious.
Bresolin
If Progress was polished and serene, my visit to Bresolin (founded by brothers Enrico and Matteo Bresolin), was met with the chaotic energy of a tiny, family-run wine house. Their Organic vineyards surround the original family house structure, set in the center of the DOCG territory (though some of their supplying vineyards lie throughout the area, necessitating a more, well, chaotic schedule of different farming and harvest activities). Each of their vineyard parcels are vinified separately, and their low-intervention production taps out at about 40,000 bottles per year. They are doing something right in al of this chaos, though, as their wines are brimming with authenticity.
2022 Bresolin ‘Col Fondo’, Colli Trevigiani, $NA
What an interesting sparkler. Citric, floral, and brimming with candied pear notes, this fresh bubbly is also savory and surprising, and has enough acidic structure that it could very well age for some time in the bottle.
NV Bresolin ‘Benny’ Extra Brut, Asolo Prosecco Superiore, $25
Long and very, very fine, the Benny Extra Brut wows with notes of saline, lemon rind, apples, exotic tropical fruit hints, florals, and a texture that exudes enough elegance to more than balance out its boisterous fruitiness.
2022 Bresolin Recantina, Montello Asolo, $29
A bit of a diversion from Prosecco here: the region also makes a smattering of reds (cultivated in the province since the 1600s, actually), and this one is a good example, sourced from a variety that was rescued from near-extinction about a decade ago in nearby Conegliano. Dark and strong of color, there was no wood used in the production, so the fruit is the star of the show: black cherry, blackcurrant, and black licorice. It’s juicy, deep, and fruity, with good structure and slight spice and game notes.
NV Bresolin ‘Fermento’ Brut Rose Asolo Prosecco, $NA
An experiment conducted for their restaurant clients, this rose bubbly is made from Recantina and provides a juicy, funky, and fun experience dominated by wild raspberry action. The palate is funky in this low-intervention rose, but also fresh, structured, and fun.
Cheers!
