Bottega SpA explores Glera variety

For more than three decades, Italian producer Bottega SpA has driven efforts towards exploring the Glera variety and its potential, including in the super-premium category.

The world of sparkling wine regions is led by two titans. Champagne has the benefit of history on its side, and a reputation for super-premium cuvées at very high prices. Prosecco, on the other hand, has seen explosive growth to become the world’s largest region by volume. Yet the dichotomy of value versus volume does not need to be so clear-cut. Bottega, for instance, is dedicating itself to elevating Prosecco’s reputation through high-quality, sustainable and innovative production. Indeed, the company actively presses the point that Prosecco, even if different, can be comparable in quality to long-established Champagnes.   As a relatively new venture, that is a demanding project. Although the family grape-growing history dates back almost 400 years, the company’s wine range was launched in 1992. Yet it has pushed the category with its five wineries across Italy in Treviso, Verona and Siena. In particular, a dedicated team of agronomists and oenologists at the Bibano di Godega winery in Treviso has conducted extensive research and experimentation over the last three years. The result is a range of premium Proseccos which make use of some of the best sites in Prosecco, including the prestigious Valdobbiadene and Rive DOCGs. Enrobed in its eye-catching bottles, they are now available in more than 160 markets as well as travel retail outlets all over the world. It has been a rapid rise into a powerful brand. Yet that is no accident. The winemaking at Bottega is led by the very best practice in Prosecco. Meanwhile, the company’s simultaneous releases of multiple vintages are flipping the notion of Prosecco for early drinking on its head. The process Bottega’s wines benefit from select individual vineyards located in the most suitable plots among the Unesco Heritage Hills, where Glera grapes are cultivated using sustainable practices and harvested by hand at the peak of ripeness. The grapes then go through a pre-fermentation cryo-maceration, which improves the extraction of colour, flavour and tannins from the skins of the grapes, also known as their organoleptic charge. The winery uses new ‘horizontal’ autoclaves to age its wines and long fermentation times to obtain wines with different organoleptic expressions depending on the individual vintages and the different crus. The result is extra brut sparkling wines suitable for fine pairings, as aperitifs, as well as tasty first courses or paired with white meats or game. Bottega’s idea of creating versatile sparkling wines supported by science was conceived a few years ago and pursued with foresight, aiming to give Prosecco a new image. It seeks to inspire the emergence of a new generation of entrepreneurs capable of producing high-quality cru wines that will be in demand globally and served in prestigious restaurants, whether Michelin-starred or traditional, but all of high class. Four vintages 33 years since its inception, Bottega has introduced a novelty in the world of Prosecco, simultaneously presenting four different vintages of sparkling wine. These 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 vintages aim to seize and showcase the Glera grape variety’s potential, which can express freshness, aromaticity, structure, and complexity. The vintages are a part of Bottega’s decade-long project to enhance the character of Prosecco wines, starting with a flagship, best-selling Bottega Gold Prosecco, this year a 2024 vintage. At the top of the ‘Bottega Prosecco Premium Vintage Collection’ is the soon-to-be-released 2021 vintage Stardust Gold, which will retail for €250. The 2021 Stardust Black Prosecco DOC Spumante Extra Brut, priced at €119, is made with at least 85% Glera, with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir as complementary varieties. The entire production process for Stardust takes a minimum of 9 months, including at least 8 months of resting on the lees and a portion of wine aged in oak barrels is added to prepare the expedition syrup. The Stardust Black bottle features 3,000 black crystals arranged by hand to create a stardust effect. The bottle has a striking black finish, further enhanced by a glittered label and capsule. The collection features a 2022 vintage Bottega Gold Diamond Extra Brut Prosecco, which has a mirrored effect and is adorned with crystals that spell the brand's name. The Bottega Gold Cru, a 2023 vintage, comes with a glittering capsule and is made from 85% Glera grapes sourced from the hilly regions of Treviso, extending to the slopes of Valdobbiadene. After fermentation, the wine is left in contact with the lees for at least three months. This process, involving the dead yeast cells, releases essential compounds that enhance the wine's body, structure, and aroma. The Bottega Premium Vintage Collection is now available on selected markets. Patrick Schmitt MW provides his tasting notes for some of Bottega's wines below:

Il Vino dei Poeti Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG Spumante Dry Rive di Col San Martino

• Region: Veneto
• Country: Italy
• Vintage: 2023
• ABV: 11%
• RRP: £18
• Residual Sugar: 20 g/l
• Grape Varieties: Glera (minimum 85%), Pinot, Chardonnay

A ripe and peachy, expressive Prosecco with plenty of melon and pear notes, a sweet core, plenty of mouth-filling creamy-textured bubbles and a clean, vibrant and refreshing finish.

Bottega Gold Prosecco DOC Spumante Brut

• Region: Veneto
• Country: Italy
• Vintage: 2023
• ABV: 11%
• RRP: £ 25
• Residual Sugar: 12g/l
• Grape Varieties: Glera (minimum 85%), Pinot, Chardonnay

A deliciously fruity fizz with fine bubbles, pure, ripe peachy fruit, a hint of sweetness, balanced by a fresh and gently chalky finish.

Bottega Gold Cru Prosecco DOC Spumante Extra Brut

• Region: Veneto
• Country: Italy
• Vintage: 2023
• ABV: 11,5%
• RRP: £ 29
• Residual Sugar: 6g/l
• Grape Varieties: Glera (minimum 85%), Pinot, Chardonnay

A lovely if very dry expression of Prosecco, with plenty of ripe orchard fruit at its core, as well as a fine frothy fizz, and then a chalky, finely phenolic and quite firm finish, boosted by a cleansing zesty citrus edge.

Bottega Gold Diamond Prosecco DOC Spumante Extra Brut

• Region: Veneto
• Country: Italy
• Vintage: 2022
• ABV: 11,5%
• RRP: £49
• Residual Sugar: 6g/l
• Grape Varieties: Glera (minimum 85%), Pinot, Chardonnay

Plenty of creamy-textured bubbles and fresh apple fruit dominate the mid-palate of this fine, and very dry style of Prosecco, which finishes with some crisp citrus and crushed chalk, giving it a zesty, palate-cleansing edge.

Bottega Stardust Black Prosecco DOC Spumante Extra Brut

• Region: Veneto
• Country: Italy
• Vintage: 2021
• ABV: 11,5%
• RRP: £ 119
• Residual Sugar: 6 g/l
• Grape Varieties: Glera (minimum 85%), Pinot, Chardonnay

Delicious peach and pineapple fruit, along with ripe pear, are clearly present in this Prosecco, along with a firm, refreshing bone-dry edge. Such balancing characters, along with fine persistent bubbles, ensure that this fruity fizz is palate-cleansing and mouth-watering.