The Ca’ di Rajo Prosecco Millesimato Extra Dry DOCG is a Sparkling wine produced from the Glera grape grown in an estate vineyard in the Valdobbiadene region near the town of Treviso in the Veneto region of Italy. Valdobbiadene Prosecco and DOCG Prosecco are the highest quality area and rating for Prosecco wine. Millesimato indicates that this is a vintage designated Bubbly, in this case 2013. Most Prosecco you see is non-vintage, they blend several different years together to maintain a house style, but with the Ca’ Di Rajo DOCG, the vintage was so good, they decided to go with it as is. Ca’ Di Rajo is a family owned winery founded in 1961 and they have some of the best property in the Prosecco and Valdobbiadene (the sweet spot of the Prosecco growing area) region. Prosecco differs from Champagne-style wines in that the 2nd fermentation occurs in large pressurized vats. With inexpensive Spumante (Italian for Sparkling wine, Prosecco is a Sparkling wine) the 2nd fermentation lasts only a week or so, but here the process takes 90 to 100 days. A lengthy 2nd fermentation delivers finer bubbles, a creamier wine and more depth of flavor and texture. This is an Extra Dry Bubbly, so remember the sweetness ratings with Sparkling wine (even Champagne is a Sparkling wine) is confusing. With a still wine Dry means not sweet, but in Sparkling wine Dry means sweet and Extra Dry is the least sweet of the sweetness levels. The alcohol content is a mild 11%.
The color is pale golden-yellow, with a flurry of fine,energetic bubbles. The nose (remember with Bubbly don’t swirl the glass, you deflate the bubbles) is pretty and delicate, peach dominates, then spring flowers, lemon/lime, green apple and a hint of bakery bread. This is a flavorful Prosecco, creamy lemon, tart apple, grapefruit, a slap of minerality, buttered bread, and tart, slightly sour cherry. The acidity is well-balanced and holds the body of the wine together, giving it greater length than you usually experience with this style of Sparkling wine. Even though this is an Extra Dry Bubbly and not a Brut Bubbly, it does not taste sweet. There is more roundness and heft to the fruit and citrus, but no sugar sweetness. The finish lingers on and on.
The Ca’ di Rajo Prosecco Millesimato Extra Dry DOCG is a delicious, well-made, Wow of a Prosecco. There is a lot of Prosecco on American store shelves and almost all is very good and a real bargain when compared with other Sparkling wines. But even as good as they are, they tend not to Wow you, the Ca’ Di Rajo DOCG will Wow you. There is a creamy edge to this Prosecco that is very enticing and that creaminess and the balanced acidity combine to give the Ca’ Di Rajo an elegance that is usually found in far more expensive Sparkling wines.
