 La Tordera
The Vettoretti family has been growing grapes in the heart of the Valdobbiadene appellation for three generations, but, as has happened so frequently in Italy in recent years, the younger generation decided (less than a decade ago) that it was time for them to make wine under their own name, rather than just enriching the wines of the "big names" of the area.
In a short time, La Tordera, named after the hill in the Cartizze region where the family traces its roots, has become one of the highest quality producers in the area, winning 5 stars in Decanter Magazine and numerous other awards throughout Europe and the USA. This is some of the most sophisticated and delightful Prosecco we have ever had the pleasure of tasting. The reason starts, of course, in the vineyards, where, despite over 100 acres of vineyards to tend, the family still harvests completely by hand and remains dedicated to maintaining the important traditions of the area. For example, La Tordera makes the effort to include some fruit from other indigenous grapes of these hills, like Bianchetta, Perera, and Verdino, traditionally blended in with the Prosecco, and allowed by the DOC rules, to give additional complexity and depth to the wines. This is the kind of thing that only small wineries like La Tordera can do, but that make their wines stand apart from the mass-produced, more one-dimensional wines of their competitors. What draws us to La Tordera is what draws us to all our producers: the wines are unusually pure and clear representations of the fruit and the vineyards they come from. We chose the winery initially because of its Brut, using that as a benchmark because, with less sugar to hide behind, the quality and treatment of the fruit is crystal clear, and this one showed up all the other Bruts we tasted. The Extra Dry "Alne'," which has won both Best of Class and "Best Sparkling Wine of the Competition" at the Los Angeles International Wine Competition, is unique because of the 5% of Chardonnay mixed, which gives the wine a crisp, green-appley finish that leaves it feeling fresh and non-cloying despite the extra residual sugar of an Extra Dry. Their amazingly innovative Rose sparkler, Cuvee di Gabry (Gabriella's blend), which is unique and simply has to be tried, has quickly developed a fanatical following, and their Prosecco Superiore di Cartizze, the most famous Prosecco "Cru" and the source of the most intense Proseccos made, is rich and complex, showing just how serious a wine Prosecco can be in the right hands. Wine List |
