The Giusti Asolo Extra Brut Prosecco is made from the Glera grape from Giusti estate vineyards in the Asolo DOCG region of Veneto about one hour north of Venice.
Ermenegildo Giusti was born into a family from the region who had a history of making wine. As a young man, he left Italy and moved to Canada, and established a hugely successful construction business. In 20014 he moved back to Veneto and purchased a 5-acre vineyard. Today they have a beautiful facility with multiple vineyards.
Most of the Prosecco region is designated as DOC wines. Italy has strict rules and regulations and a strong governing body to endorse them. While most of Prosecco is ranked DOC the Valdobbiadene region which is located in a hilly section near the center of Prosecco is designated as DOCG.
Then there is the Asolo DOCG area that is located in the foothills of the Dolomites. While there has been wine produced there for a long time it came by its DOCG designation fairly recently.
The DOC rating indicates strong rules and regulations pertaining to vineyard practices and winemaking. The G in DOCG stands for Guaranteed. It adds more stringent rules and oversite. It does not mean you are guaranteed to like the wine, only that the strictest quality standards were followed.
Giusti Asolo Extra Brut Prosecco like all Prosecco is made with the Charmat Method. That is the process where the bubbles and incorporated into the wine. Champagne uses the Traditional Method which is a technique perfected in the 16th century. Charmat was invented in the Kate 19th century.
A quick explanation of the Charmat Method is the grapes are fermented the first, more or less like all wine is fermented. Champagne Houses and Prosecco have their secrets that make their wines unique. With the Charmat Method the wine that has been fermented once is transferred to huge pressurized vats.
A measured amount of yeast and sugar is added to the wine. The wine is then allowed to ferment a second time, but this time in a sealed vat that has been pressurized. In Champagne where the 2nd fermentation is performed in a completely different manner, the second fermentation lasts a year and a half and often longer.
In Prosecco, the 2nd fermentation lasts from several weeks to several months. each producer uses their own methods for determining the proper amount of pressure coupled with the right length of time. Technology has knocked about 75% of the time it takes to put bubbles into wine.
The Giusti Asolo Extra Brut Prosecco is a dry Sparkling wine. The three major classifications for dry Bubbly are Brut, then Extra Brut, and finally Nature which has no added sugar and is bone dry.
If you think you know Prosecco and Prosecco DOSG there is a good chance you may not have tried Asolo DOCG Prosecco. Prosecco is the largest selling Sparkling wine in the world in terms of gallons, but Champagne is the largest in terms of dollars. Prosecco is far more affordable than Champagne. The alcohol content is a reasonable 11.5%.
Giusti Asolo Extra Brut Prosecco Tasting Notes
The color is almost clear with just a hint of gold, with a flurry of energetic bubbles. The nose is crisp and clean, there is citrus, green apple, melon, a little minerality, and peach.
This is not the flavor profile for the typical Prosecco, it is very dry with unique flavors. It tastes like a stew of Anjou pear, dried peach, lemon chiffon (not sweet), green apple, and lime.
The mid-palate shows grapefruit, a slight creamy sensation, that salty, nutty “on lees” thing, and just a hint of candy spice. The acidity is very well controlled. It allows the flavors and texture to be bright and alive, but never bites or goes to far.
The Summary
- The Giusti Asolo Extra Brut Prosecco is a Bubbly well worth tasting.
- It is easy to get into a rut with Prosecco, some of the ones readily available in the supermarket, while very tasting, can be indistinguishable from the next brand.
- I am not complaining, because I like them, it is just that the Giusti Asolo Extra Brut Prosecco stands out from the crowd.
