Case Paolin Col Fondo Asolo Prosecco Superiore
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Aromas of citrus and yeasty whiffs of bread dough form the nose on this lightly sparkling wine. Made with organically grown grapes and refermented in the bottle without being disgorged, the dry, racy palate offers green apple, lemon zest, mineral and pastry crust alongside crisp acidity.
On the label of each bottle that comes from the winery named Case Paolin are the words “Vignaioli di Natura,” winemakers by nature. Respect for nature and a family’s long history as farmers are concepts underlined by this simple, eloquent phrase. Emilio Pozzobon founded Case Paolin in the early 1970s. The family history has been a success story. Though he was a farmer like previous generations, Emilio bought the estate that his father and grandfather had worked as sharecroppers. A key plot point in the story was Emilio’s decision to stop farming silkworms and focus on vineyards. Emilio’s three sons, Diego, Adelino and Mirco have inherited their father’s passion for wine growing. Each son adds their personality to the estate’s work, the team a whole greater than the sum of its parts. Three brothers grow grapes to make wine from the land they’re intimately connected to. Diego loves being in the vineyards and working in the cellar. Adelino’s methodical rigor and innovative spirit have a constant focus on quality and a quest to improve work in the cellar. Mirco earned a degree in enology from Conegliano University in the early 1990s. Mirco’s passion for study and his technical, precise nature has given Case Paolin new perspectives on wine growing and on fine wine. With the birth of Emilio’s first grandson in 2013, the Pozzobon family story has continued to flourish.
In the 1980s, the Pozzobon brothers began farming organically, many years before the term or method became fashionable. Through close observation, they refined their vineyard work. For example, they were among the first growers in the area to dramatically reduce the use of chemicals. After several years of conversion, they received organic certification in 2012 (Certified Organic in the EU by MIPAAFT, Italian Ministry of Agricultural Food, Forestry and Tourism Policies).
The Prosecco DOC is comprised of nine provinces within the regions of Friuli Venezia Giulia and the Veneto. Case Paolin’s vineyards are in the Veneto’s Treviso province, in two areas near each other, but whose different soil types each inform the characters of their wines. On one side, the grey stones of the Belvedere plain that was once a riverbed gives the base wines from here a remarkable freshness. On the other side, the Montello hill’s red soils rich with iron produce age-worthy wines with depth and complexity. Case Paolin has three main vineyards. Asolo Prosecco vineyard has Glera vines over thirty years old. The north-south exposure helps the grapes develop rich aromas and bright acidity, both crucial for quality Prosecco wines. Costa degli Angeli vineyard covers the Montello hill’s slopes and benefits from constant sun exposure. It is planted to Manzoni Bianco, a variety native to the Treviso area, a cross between Pinot Blanc and Riesling. The soil and microclimate help give delicate aromas, distinct freshness and minerality to the grapes. San Carlo vineyard has an ancient shrine among Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot grapes on deep red soils. This fruit goes into the estate’s flagship red only in the best vintages. The Proseccos are fresh, bright, and mineral-driven, with savory, citrus and saline aromas and flavors, sparkling wines with great texture, verve, and lift.
A term typically reserved for Champagne and Sparkling Wines, non-vintage or simply “NV” on a label indicates a blend of finished wines from different vintages (years of harvest). To make non-vintage Champagne, typically the current year’s harvest (in other words, the current vintage) forms the base of the blend. Finished wines from previous years, called “vins de reserve” are blended in at approximately 10-50% of the total volume in order to achieve the flavor, complexity, body and acidity for the desired house style. A tiny proportion of Champagnes are made from a single vintage.
There are also some very large production still wines that may not claim one particular vintage. This would be at the discretion of the winemaker’s goals for character of the final wine.
The wines of Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG represent Italy’s highest-quality designation in the Prosecco category. Situated approximately 30 miles north of Venice and 63 miles south of the Dolomites in the province of Treviso, Prosecco Superiore DOCG is defined by a limited geographic area that extends over 15 hillside towns, flanked by the municipalities of Conegliano to the east and Valdobbiadene to the west.
Hand harvesting and cultivation occur in the steep hillsides of Conegliano Valdobbiadene, the birthplace of Prosecco, and while incredibly labor-intensive, also drive quality grape selection and an artisanal approach throughout. To qualify as Prosecco Superiore DOCG, wines must contain at least 85% Glera. Other permitted varieties include Verdiso, Perera, and Bianchetta Trevigiana – but the aromatic Glera is the region’s star. Hardy and vigorous with hazelnut-colored shoots, Glera forms large, loose bunches of beautiful golden-yellow grapes that stand out against the bright green leaves of the vine.
Vines have been grown in Conegliano Valdobbiadene since ancient times. In 1876 Conegliano became home to the first enology school in Italy, an institution of learning and innovation. It fundamentally altered the future course of winemaking in the region, and indeed the entire country, by perfecting the Italian Method of sparkling wine production in autoclaves to preserve and enhance the aromas of the indigenous grape varieties. A Consortium of Conegliano Valdobbiadene producers was formed in 1963 and was instrumental in obtaining the very first Prosecco appellation in 1969. In 2009, Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco was elevated to a DOCG, Italy’s highest wine category. Conegliano, home to the enology school and research center, is known as the area’s cultural capital, while Valdobbiadene, with its high altitudes, dramatically steep hillsides and twisting contours, is devoted mainly to production.
While the vast majority (95%) of Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco is Spumante (sparkling or foamy), it is also made as a fizzy (Frizzante) wine, or even in a rare completely still version called Tranquillo. It comes in three different categories of residual sugar: “DRY,” with 17-32 grams of residual sugar per liter, is actually the sweetest; “Extra-Dry,” ranges from 12-17 grams; and Brut (0-12) is the driest category. Brut Nature or Zero Dossaggio Prosecco has less than 3 grams of residual sugar and Extra-Brut less than 6. Though most Prosecco is made in an autoclave, second fermentation in the bottle is still permitted under the DOCG guidelines, either in the traditional process known as Col Fondo (in which the sediment is left in the bottle) or Metodo Classico with sediment removed.
Due to the Conegliano Valdobbiadene’s complex geologic history, there is tremendous diversity of terroir between the eastern and western portions of the zone and even different sub zones and parcels within the same area. For this reason, in 2009 a sub-category called RIVE was created, which indicates a Prosecco made of grapes from one of 43 registered geographic areas. In order to qualify as a Rive, the grapes have an even lower maximum yield and the wine must be vintage dated. It is also possible to find Prosecco DOCGs made entirely from grapes of a single vineyard parcel.
Conegliano Valdobbiadene is currently shortlisted for inclusion as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.