Adami Col Fondo: Prosecco Rarely Achieves These Heights

4 min read

There are a few categories of wine in which the differences from one wine to the next are so minor and inconsequential that I question whether there is anything to ever write about. Inevitably, these narratives are driven by branding rather than stylistic craft (and certainly, the most interesting point of comparison — terroir — is off the table). Provence rosé leads this list, and Prosecco is not far behind. However Prosecco has a few glimmers of intrigue going for it: one is Asolo Prosecco, the other is Prosecco col fondo.

When that needle is threaded, Prosecco gains the elements it is usually missing: intrigue, depth, complexity and nuance.

Harkening back to the origins of sparkling wine in Veneto, col fondo literally translates as “with the bottom,” a reference to the sediment of lees that used to settle in the bottom of the bottle. Essentially, secondary fermentation occurs in the bottle but is not disgorged as in the traditional champagne method. It is a very tricky procedure, and on paper, it shouldn’t work. While lees can lend a lovely baked-bread note or nuttiness to the wine, they can also create a bitterness that smothers Glera’s jolly fruit tones.

And then there is the problem of the sediment: Haziness is fine, chunkiness is another matter.

Yet when that needle is threaded — as we have here with one of my favorite Prosecco producers, Adami — Prosecco gains the elements it is usually missing: intrigue, depth, complexity and nuance.

Sommelier Scott Thomas and I recently sat down for a tasting of Collio Rosso and Collio Merlot wines (report coming soon), and I decided to wake up our palates with this wine as a starter. Little did I realize it would be one of the best wines of the night. The aromas are simply incredible, trending toward darker tones than your usual Prosecco — pears, ripe apples and a rich autolytic note from the lees that I found akin to butterscotch on the nose, but brioche on the palate. Scott commented on the broadness of the wine, and how it seemed to fill in the sides of the palate with sensation — a remarkable trait for us because Prosecco typically razors narrowly down the tongue. The acidity still had plenty of action, and the slightly lazier bubbles allowed me to taste more fully what was there. If Prosecco is normally a two-sided card in terms of complexity, this was a six-sided die, and because of that, it had far greater versatility with cuisine than its everyday counterparts.

Revisiting the wine later, however, it was clear that the wine had hit its upper range early, so drink this one with friends so you can empty the bottle faster. With the perlage fading fairly quickly, what was revealed underneath — while still delicious — wasn’t nearly as complex. Still, I’d happily take this Prosecco over every other one I’ve tasted in my career.

NV Adami Col Fondo Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Brut Nature

Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG (Veneto )
Grapes: Glera
Alcohol: 11%
Opinion: ★★★★ 3/4
Food-friendliness: Versatile
Value: Very Good

Imported by: Dalla Terra Winery Direct

   

A beginner might like … everything about it. Prosecco owns the space between simple pleasures and pure frivolity, and none of that is sacrificed with this wine. But to get a little something extra — i.e. richness, complexity — means a broader opening of the door to possibilities.

A wine obsessive might like … finally seeing Glera elegantly take to lees contact. I’ve tasted dozens of col fondo Prosecco — as well as traditional-method versions — and the results have always felt disjointed. Here, Adami proves it can be done and handled with grace.

 

Note: This wine was provided as a sample by DallaTerra Winery Direct, the importer for Adami, upon an editorial request I made. Learn more about my editorial policies.