Sparkling Wine - celebrating June

Menu ideas

• Smoked-salmon crostini with Prosecco
• Cobb Salad with Prosecco
• Goat cheese and Prosecco

The Wines

2014 Ruggeri Giustino B. DOCG Prosecco Superiore 11.5 abv $22.49
Varietal: Glera
Region: Italy, Conegliano-Valdobbiadene

2015 Castillo Perelada Cava Stars Touch of Rose 2015 Brut 11.5% abv $12.00 (Last Bottle)
Varietals: 90% Garanatxa, 11% Pinot Noir
Region: Spain, del Castillo de Peredada


MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE WINE

2014 Ruggeri Giustino B. DOCG Prosecco Superiore 11.5 abv $22.49
Varietal: Glera
Region: Italy, Conegliano-Valdobbiadene. Veneto wine region

My Tasting Notes:

Appearance

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Palate

Assessment of Quality  (balance, intensity, length and complexity)

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More Information

Prosecco is made in north-east Italy: Veneto and Friuli. The higher quality comes from Conegliano-Valdobbiadene DOCG. The fruit must be grown between the two towns of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene on steep limestone hills, northwest of Venice.

After the first fermentation the wine matures in the big vats at a low temperature until spring and then it is transferred in the pressure-vats for the second fermentation. It remains with its yeast until the bottling that is carried on at the beginning of June..

More information re: Glera (Prosecco) Wine from Wine Searcher

Glera is a highly productive grape that ripens late in the season. It has high acidity and a fairly neutral palate, making it ideal for sparkling wine production. Glera’s aromatic profile is characterized by white peaches, with an occasional soapy note. The wine is light-bodied and low in alcohol (8.5 percent is the minimum permitted ABV for Prosecco wines), suggesting it as a refreshing summer beverage or as an aperitif.

Outside Italy, Glera is grown in Slovenia and Australia, in particular the King Valley.

Synonyms include: Serprina, Prosecco Bianco, Proseko Sciprina.

Food matches for Glera include:

• Linguine with sage and butter
• Smoked-salmon crostini
• Lychees in coconut milk

From Wine.com

Critical Acclaim

RP91

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The delicious 2014 Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Giustino B. Extra Dry shows a surprising level of sophistication for this informal category of Italian sparkling wines and despite the difficult growing conditions in the wet and soggy 2014 vintage. The bouquet delivers lively tones of white flower, sweet peach and citrus. The mouthfeel is tonic and bright thanks to the clean and persistent nature of the perlage.

WE91

Wine Enthusiast

Heady scents of jasmine, wisteria, white peach and mountain herbs come together on this rich but racy wine. The aromas carry over to the palate of green apple, lime and a note of candied ginger offset by racy acidity and a refined mousse. The finish is clean and refreshing, and drier than one would expect from the Extra Dry category.

From Tastings

White gold color. Delicate, nutty aromas of nougat, vanilla cream, spiced apple, and nectarine with a supple, crisp, dry-yet-fruity light-to-medium body and a tingling, interesting, long lemon curd, key lime, grassy earth, and chalk finish with fine tannins and no oak. A robustly flavorful Prosecco with an earthy finish.

Pairing:

Scallops With Chorizo Butter, General Tso’s Chicken, Cobb Salad

2015 Castillo Perelada Cava Stars Touch of Rose 2015 Brut 11.5% abv $12.00 (Last Bottle)
Varietals: 90% Garanatxa, 11% Pinot Noir
Region: Spain, Catalunya, Castell de Perelada

My Tasting Notes:

Appearance

Nose

Palate

Assessment of Quality  (balance, intensity, length and complexity)

Level of readiness to drink

More Information

Technical Sheet from Perelada

Info from Wine Searcher on Cava Wine

LAST BOTTLE REVIEW

SO GOOD. Totally refreshing, bracing, packed with flavor, flitting around flavors of cranberry strawberry, flowers and toast, all very easy and subtle and packed up in a rich, creamy, silky texture. It’s actually a bit scary...you could drink this all day..we’s start with breakfast, then sipping by the pool after a hike, then knocking out a few more with dinner. IT’S $12!! Astounding.

Beautiful light peach colorPersistent teenie tiny bubblesIf you have a bottle of bayer aspirin , open it & take a short whiff, that’s the initial smell -I just call’em the way I smell&taste’em...There is a hint of cherries.Palate effervesces masterfully... no mouth full of foam. There are bright notes of wildflowers, tart raspberry & cherry subtleties. This is a sure crowd pleaserThis cava has been masterfully made by this house for the past 31yrs in celebration of a music festival hosted by the same

GTFREEK nailed this one last August: "90/10 Grenache/Pinot Noir. Medium nose shows brioche, limestone, lemongrass, light earth, dried white flowers. Palate gives nice balance, light fruit, strawberry, rose water, lemon peel, brioche again, acidity and bubbles play well, dry finish of medium short length. Nice example and nice QPR."