8.7 Score
Final Verdict
I really, really enjoyed the Santa Margherita Valdobbiadenne Prosecco. It has an air of refinement about it that suits my tastes particularly well, and eases the pain of me missing out on my New Years Eve Champagne. Oh, and as a bonus, my partner enjoyed sipping it slow too.
Every New Years Eve I like to treat myself to a nice bottle of sparkling wine. Many years it has taken the form of champagne (delicious when vintage and even when not.) But unfortunately I live in a bizarre reality where my partner Christine DOESN’T LIKE CHAMPAGNE. Let me make this clear — she likes wine, loves sparkling wine, but specifically Champagne she has no affection for. It’s not just one off bottle either. She has tried some of the world’s best and reacted to it with, at best, a “meh.”
So if you’re a person that prefers to share a glass of bubbly on NYE (like me), you see why I might opt for a nice bottle of Prosecco instead of a self indulgent Champagne, and that’s exactly where the Santa Margherita Valdobbiadene comes in. Not to judge a book by its cover, but where many Proseccos look like they cater to the light-and-fizzy crowd, the Santa Margherita Valdobbiadene looks mature as hell in its glass and gold. If I wanted to pretend I was drinking Champagne, this was a good way to do it. But could it cut the mustard with its taste?
Hell yeah.
Santa Margherita Valdobbiadene Prosecco Review
Made with Glera grapes grown near the town of Valdobbiadene, this wine has the pedigree to justify its “Prosecco Superiore” designation at its DOCG classification (a watermark of quality for any Italian wine.) It pours with a brisk, but not overly-excited effervescence and looks as charming in a glass as it does in its stunningly attractive bottle.
On the nose the Santa Margherita Valdobbiadene Prosecco is subtle at first, but opens into a rich scent profile of nectarines, summer garden, with a hint of tropical fruit and maybe a tiny whiff of citrus. It’s not overwhelming or overly perfumed, making it a pleasure to keep sniffing.
After a sip, this bubbly continues to shine. Its flavour has a lot more apples than I noticed in the aroma, but they take back stage to a bright fruitiness that reminded me of a subtle bit of tangerine. The nectarine on the nose transforms into a hit of peach, that sits well into the finish. Speaking of finish, that’s about the one mark I have against this prosecco — it’s a tad fleeting. But you’re invited to another sip quite quickly, and that didn’t bother me at all.
