A few Fridays ago, premium delicatessen and supermarket Jasons Food Hall in Bangsar Shopping Centre invited some media and shoppers to an exclusive wine introduction and tasting session conducted by Sandro Bottega, President of Bottega S.p.A. Close to a century in wine-making through three generations of oenologist and viticulturist, Italian multi award-winning wine label Bottega offers a genuine, unadulterated taste of nature’s best from the Venetian Prealps to the Oltrepo Pavese vineyards in Italy.
The Art Of Wine Appreciation With Bottega S.p.A. was much better than I expected thanks to the lively and enthusiastic presentation by Sandro Bottega. The man was full of passion for his craft and even though he has been in the family business for over 3 decades, I can sense he will never ever tire of what he does.
We were treated to the Bottega White Gold, Bottega Gold, Bottega Rose Gold, Bottega Diamond as well as the Manzoni Moscato Rose.
Bottega Gold is a Prosecco DOC, obtained by the vinification in white of the Glera grapes, grown in the Valdobbiadene hills. This area is close to the Venetian Prealps and characterized by a climate perfect for this native variety of grape. The vineyards are located on a hilly territory that not only has a landscape of great value but also along wine-growing tradition.
The grapes are handpicked and softly pressed in the winery. The must obtained is maintained in stainless steel containers at low temperature to keep its freshness. It follows the fermentation in autoclave for nearly 40 days, at a controlled temperature of 14-15°C, with the addition of selected yeasts (Charmat method). The golden bottle protects the wine by any source of light, preserving its aroma and freshness thus giving the wine a longer life.
Clear, characteristic, fruity and flowery with scents of Golden apple, Williams pear, acacia flowers and lily of the valley, the wine is quite tasty, harmonious, elegant and fresh. Good as an aperitif as well as in cocktails, it goes particularly well with starters, first courses, fish and poultry.
This is one of the best wines I have ever tasted (not that I have tasted that many, to be honest) as it’s highly drinkable and I felt like I could have done with a 2nd glass of this.
The Bottega Rose Gold is a pure Pinot Noir sparkling wine. The grapes are handpicked and vinified at a controlled temperature. The skins stay in contact with the must for 24 hours at 5°C. Must and skins are then separated with a soft pressing. Fermentation occurs at a controlled temperature of 18°C. During the year which follows the harvest, the obtained wine goes through the sparkling process.
Second fermentation in steel containers occurs according to the Italian Charmat method at a controlled temperature of 14°C and lasts 60-90 days. Distinctly flowery with scent of mixed berries, mainly currants and wild strawberries, the taste is fresh with a good acidity, harmonious, delicate and persistent. The Bottega Rose Gold is wine to accompany any meal, it goes particularly well with vegetable oil dip, vegetarian dishes, sushi, fish and cheese. It is a pleasant after-dinner wine.
The Bottega White Gold is a Brut sparkling wine obtained through white-wine vinification of Pinot Noir grapes grown in the Oltrepo Pavese area. Bottega’s metallised bottle protects the wine by any source of light, preserving its aroma and freshness thus giving the wine a longer life.
Fresh and at the same time full and intense, it has a creaminess that makes it pleasing to the palate. Medium bodied, with a light touch of tannin, it is able to support the acidity that evolves at the finish with citrus and mineral tones. Excellent as an aperitif, it goes particularly well with main courses of fish, grilled fish, shellfish, sushi, white meat, Mediterranean cuisine and vegetable.
Bottega Diamond is a Brut sparkling wine obtained using the Long Charmat method through white-wine vinification of Pinot Noir grapes grown in the Oltrepò Pavese area. The bottle is adorned with a series of small brilliants spelling out the name Bottega, giving the final touch to this product and highlighting its value, elegance and refinement.
Complex, elegant and refined bouquet characterised by light and pleasant aromas of crusty bread and yeast with a delicate floral edge at the end, its taste is full, well-rounded and velvety, with excellent structure and taste-olfactory persistence. It is characterised by its richness of flavour, balanced acidity and yellow fruit aromas that, in the finish, tend towards sweet almond. The wine is excellent as an aperitif; it pairs well with starters, rice dishes, raw or cooked fish (especially shellfish), vegetarian dishes, flavourful white meats, cheeses and desserts.
The Manzoni Moscato Rose sparkling wine is characterised by its distinctive sweet taste. The bright pink painted bottle is fully part of the collection of glamour Bottega sparkling wines. The label, which depicts a rose in full bloom, evokes the great aroma of the wine.
It originates from grapes grown in the Province of Treviso, in the Prosecco wine area, famous for its great wine tradition. The skins of the grapes are subjected to a process of maceration with the must that lasts for 24 hours. The sparkling process starts after the addition of selected yeasts directly to the must. The resulting wine has the fresh and fragrant character of the original grapes, a low alcohol content and a pleasantly sweet taste.
Fresh, intense and delicate, the wine has a sweet, fragrant taste with hints of rose, raspberry and spicy notes of sage, thyme and marjoram. This sweet wine is suitable for celebrations and special events, an excellent companion to all major desserts of the Italian and international cuisine.
Next to Bottega Gold, the Manzoni Moscato Rose is my most favourite Bottega wine and it’s easy to have more than a few glasses of this as it is delectably sweet.
I am not a dedicated wine drinker and I still cannot appreciate wines the way I can appreciate teas and to a certin extent coffees or tell the difference between one wine and another but I am so impressed by the Bottega wines. Other than the taste, the bottles are seriously beautiful and they are like collector items. Also, it helped that Sandro Bottega was one of the best speakers on wine ever and I came away armed with a lot more knowledge about wines and if he is ever in KL again, I’d love to hear him speak again. The way he presented made me want to visit the Bottega vineyards.
Bottega White Gold, Bottega Gold, Bottega Rose Gold, Bottega Diamond retail at RM174.99 while Manzoni Moscato Rose retails at RM199.99. For more details of Bottega wines, please go to www.jasonsfoodhall.com.my
I like the bottles so much!
OMG, you made me want to immediately run and the bottles of wine! It must be really good!
Excellent. I would share some with you if only you are here.