Cirotto Launches Low-Sugar ‘Extra Brut’

This year, Cirotto launch ‘Extra Brut’, an exciting new style of Prosecco with a very low residual sugar, at only 3 grams/litre.  It responds to increasing demands for low and zero sugar Champagnes, Cavas and Proceccos in Europe and the UK.  Such varieties are particularly popular among those with preferences for a very dry taste, natural wines, and/or a low-sugar diet.

The new Cirotto Asolo DOCG Prosecco Superiore Millesimato Extra Brut 2015 is made from 90% Glera, as well as 10%, Perera and Bianchetta (ancient native white grape varieties from the Prosecco region) enhancing its structure and flavour, and has an 11% alcohol content.  It features a very low sulphite level of 80mg/litre, compared with the legal limits of 185 for sparkling wines and 155 for sparkling organic wines, as proudly declared on the label.  It is also suitable for vegans and allergen free.

Barbara Cirotto, from artisan winery Cantina Cirotto, commented on the challenges of producing this Prosecco: ‘working with such a low sugar content means that you have to count on an excellent raw material, first quality grapes, with no defects and big structure. Sugar helps you also to cover small defects….so when you have almost no sugar, it means ‘you really lay your cards on the table’.’

The process of making the Extra Brut involves hand-harvesting the finest quality grapes from 70-80-year-old vines (Cirotto’s oldest), and extreme attentiveness in order to produce a clean wine with no bad smells and no oxidation problems, enhancing the structure and avoiding the potential difficulties of low sugar content.

The very low sugar content enhances the vigorous structure.  It bursts on the nose with an intense bouquet of golden apple and pear, flowing into delicate flavours of citrus and mandarin.  It has a mineral taste, clean mouth sensation on the after taste, above all when paired together with fatty foods (eg, salami, shellfish, salmon, cheese); it is similar to the very, very dry taste of a Champagne.   Its extreme high quality means that it is still easy to drink even if you typically prefer sweeter styles.

This is Cirotto’s first Extra Brut, producing a limited edition of 5,000 bottles. With just one single sparkling process of one single tank, coming from one single vineyard, it is similar to a Cru Champagne.

Extra Brut Prosecco is something very new.  The rules on DOCG Prosecco have approved this additional version, which officially saw the first producers start to present this new label with the 2015 harvesting.   Interestingly, the Asolo DOCG Prosecco production area currently has exclusivity for the ‘Extra Brut’ style as the Consortium which controls the Valdobbiadene Conegliano DOCG region did not ask for the change in appellation.

The Cirotto Extra Brut Prosecco Superiore, with a RRP of £22.99, is now available in the UK via Just Perfect Wines.

Shared by Julia Phillips