It was miserable yesterday, pelting it down with rain all day. It wasn't even spectacular rain with thunder and lightning and massive winds that makes everyone hunker down and stay indoors. It was grey, with heavy rain, cold and with enough wind to make everyone do the hundred yard dash after their wayward upturned umbrella, but not enough to put people off going out.Due to this dire weather, I decided I needed to summer things up and thought it was the ideal day then to try four bottles of Prosecco. First up was the Carpene Malvolte Frizzante. Costing around seven pounds it is OK. Theres a lot of light, fresh lemon pith, a touch of pencil shavings and a bit like damp, dry wood! There is a light mousse, but not particularly fine, and there is a pear drop sweetness on the mid palate which isn't particularly nice. But at the price it is not a bad wine. 7/10
The Ruggeri Frizzante was significantly better, and a couple of quid more. There was lots of ripe conference pear sweetness mixed with lemon on the nose. The palate had pear cobbler and lemon sherbert and a super, gentle bubble that dissolved in your mouth like a Quaver! This was very good. 8/10
If bubbles are more your thing, then I moved onto the Spumante. Imagine being belted in the chops with a load of Granny Smith apples with a few Coxes Orange Pippins being included in the mix. That is what the Jeio from Bisol, which is mainly made from the Prosecco grape but includes 6% Pinot Bianco and 4% Verdiso The palate starts off well, with more lovely apple flavours, but then has a hollow midpalate after the initial up front wallop. The finish is long, with pear and a touch of lime, but really lacking interest. It is nice, don't get me wrong, but there just lacks a bit of interest. Having said that, if you want a sparkling for your wedding and don't want to spend over a tenner, you are going to have to hunt for as good a wine. 7.5/10
Finally, the bigger brother of the Jeio, the 2007 Bisol Crede. This was herby, with lots of lemon pith and a touch of pepper. Some under ripe pear, and quite a bit of grapefruit pith. The palate is lovely lemon sherbert and Golden Delicious apples, some tinned pear sweetness, and a lovely mousse. Some biscuit too, and just a very balanced wine. The only problem is that the finish is a bit Ronnie Corbett. 8/10
Prosecco, to me, is like Pinot Grigio. Pretty damn boring, but easily drinkable particularly when it has been chilled right down. Occasionally you get an very good example of the breed, and the Ruggeri and the vintage Bisol Crede are such wines, but the other two, tasty as they may have been, are simply wines for drinking in the summer, or, as was the case yesterday, when it is tipping it down. And there is nothing wrong with that!
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