Description

Ca’ dei Zago – Prosecco Col Fondo Valdobbiadene DOCG

Col fondo is a term reserved specifically for Proseccos (while the terms “pét-nat” and “méthode traditionnelle” are applied to sparkling wines from all over the world). A col fondo Prosecco starts with a base wine, then there is a secondary fermentation, but the distinguishing feature is that the wine is not disgorged—that is, the lees are left inside the bottle. The resulting wine can be a bit cloudy, and more sour than a typical Prosecco. Col fondos are also frequently—but not always—bottled under crown caps

Ca’ dei Zago website – click here

Region: Veneto/ Venetia

Grape Variety: Glera, small amounts of Verdiso, Perera, and Bianchetta from the Valdobbiadene area.

Tasting Notes: “Inviting scents of ripe orchard fruit, citrus, bread crust, Alpine herb and a whiff of crushed stone. The refreshing frothy palate delivers lime, tangerine zest, green apple and a hint of lemon drop alongside bright acidity. A mineral note backs up the finish.” Kerin O’Keefe, Italian Editor Wine Enthusiast

Food Pairing: Perfect as an aperitif, it pairs very well with seafood and fresh tuna salad. Also great with cold cuts, sauteed mushrooms and risotto.

Exposure and altitude: South, South-west, 850 feet ASL (250 m ASL)

Soil composition: Clay and limestone

Cultivation method: Double-arched cane.

Organic farming.

Harvest: Traditional hand-picking of the grape and careful selection in the vineyard during the second half of September.

Vinification: Soft pressing of the grapes, and decantation of the must for 24 hours.

Fermentation: Fermentation in concrete tanks on the lees for the whole winter season. The wine doesn’t go through other pouring and is decanted in tanks with periodical bâtonnage, in order to keep it homogeneous and let the yeast work. The wine exposure to the winter cold, in addition to the contact with the lees, helps the production of the natural tartaric and protein stability characteristic of the Glera grape.

Refinement: In the first quarter of the second, third and fourth waxing moon of the new year, the wine is bottled and the bottles are put in a horizontal position for about two months for the second fermentation. After this process, the bottles are stored vertically in order to make the yeast slowly sediment at the bottom.