COL DEL SOL Extra Brut — A Long-Charmat Expression of Asolo

APPEARANCE
Bright straw yellow with greenish highlights. The perlage is fine and persistent, regular and well defined, although not extremely delicate in texture.

AROMATIC PROFILE
Fresh and composed on the nose, driven more by precision than aromatic breadth. Notes of lemon peel and green apple emerge, accompanied by a herbal nuance reminiscent of basil. The tasting also reveals a subtle mineral note, almost flinty, together with a discreet hint of yeast. The profile remains dry and measured, without pronounced ripe-fruit or opulent floral expression.

ON THE PALATE
The attack is dry, fresh and taut, supported by good savoury tension and a lively but well-integrated mousse. With 6 g/l residual sugar, at the lower end of the Extra Brut category, the palate does not move towards sweetness: freshness, balance and linearity remain dominant. The texture is enveloping without becoming heavy, with a mineral component carrying through the mid-palate.

FINISH
The finish is clean, savoury and well defined, with citrus notes returning and a moderate persistence. The closing impression remains consistent with the overall style of the wine, favouring freshness and precision over depth or power.

OVERALL BALANCE
An Extra Brut of good tension and clarity, where freshness, savoury character and citrus expression find a convincing balance. The palate remains linear from entry to finish, without excess aromatic weight or structural heaviness.

DISTINCTIVE CHARACTER
Its personality comes from the blend of 85% Glera and 15% Pinot Nero, from organic viticulture, and from a long Charmat method of 4–5 months, allowing extended contact with the lees during the secondary fermentation. This combination gives the wine greater tension, structure and depth than a more immediate style of Prosecco.

Serve at 4–6°C. / 39–43°F. to preserve freshness, citrus definition and the lively character of the perlage.

RECOMMENDED GLASSWARE
A medium-sized white wine glass, slightly narrowing at the rim, is preferable to a narrow flute. It allows the citrus and herbal notes to open more clearly while preserving freshness and tension.

FOOD PAIRINGS
Particularly well suited to seafood carpaccio, tuna or sea bass tartare, shellfish, tempura-style vegetables, light fried seafood, grilled prawns and refined fish dishes with a clean, savoury profile. The producer itself recommends raw fish starters and elegant, structured fish dishes.

Its freshness, savoury character and 6 g/l residual sugar also make it an interesting match for sushi and sashimi, lightly spiced Asian seafood dishes, fresh goat’s cheese, vegetable tartlets and delicate poultry preparations with citrus or herbs.

TASTING MOMENT
Excellent as an aperitif, but structured enough to accompany the opening stages of a meal and light main courses, especially where freshness, citrus and savoury tension remain central.

BEYOND* SUGGESTION
Serve well chilled, but allow the wine a few minutes in the glass: the slight rise in temperature helps reveal its lemon peel, green apple, basil and mineral nuances with greater definition, while maintaining balance and precision.

ORIGIN
Italy, Veneto, province of Treviso, Asolo, within the Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG denomination. The setting is that of the Asolo Hills and Montello, a hilly system characterised by articulated slopes, varying gradients and a marked alternation of vineyards, agricultural land and wooded areas.
The wine therefore originates from one of the most distinctive territorial systems of the Treviso foothills, geographically and viticulturally separate from Conegliano-Valdobbiadene.

VINEYARDS
The producer specifically identifies the Col del Sol Vineyard, also referred to as Forabosco, distinct from the other vineyards of the estate. This is particularly relevant from a BEYOND* perspective because it connects the wine to a named and recognisable site, rather than merely to a broad appellation.

SOIL
For its estate vineyards, Progress Country describes soils with a calcareous, rocky and clay-based composition.
Within the broader Asolo Prosecco DOCG area, soils are generally associated with marly-clay and marly-sandy matrices, developed over the conglomeratic formations typical of the Asolo–Montello system.

For BISP purposes, the two scales should remain clearly separated: the calcareous-rocky-clay composition refers to the estate, while the marly-clay/marly-sandy description represents the wider geological context.

GRAPE VARIETIES
85% Glera and 15% Pinot Nero.
Glera forms the principal varietal base, while the 15% Pinot Nero component introduces a less conventional element into the wine’s profile, contributing to greater structure and a more sustained expression compared with more immediate styles of Prosecco.

VINEYARD MANAGEMENT
The viticulture is organic, with certification documented for the product through Suolo e Salute — IT-BIO-004.
The estate’s approach is centred on the relationship between vine, soil and environment and on vineyard management consistent with organic farming principles.

TERRITORIAL IDENTITY
The identity of Col del Sol emerges from the combination of Asolo DOCG origin, a named vineyard, the estate’s calcareous-rocky-clay soil matrix, Glera and Pinot Nero, organic viticulture and extended lees contact during the long Charmat process.

HARVEST & PRESSING
The grapes used for Col del Sol come from organic viticulture. Progress Country’s winery is equipped with a double-membrane pressing system, designed to process Glera and Pinot Nero separately alongside the estate’s other grape varieties.

PRIMARY FERMENTATION
The base wines are vinified at the estate winery in Asolo, which is equipped with stainless-steel tanks, concrete vessels, wooden vats and CO₂ control systems used in the production of the estate’s wines, including Col del Sol.

AGEING OF THE BASE WINE
Col del Sol is conceived as a sparkling-wine base intended for a subsequent extended secondary fermentation, one of the defining elements of its production method. The process is not based on rapid elaboration, but on a significantly longer period of lees contact than in a more immediate Charmat style.

SELECTION OF THE BASE WINES
The Extra Brut version is composed of 85% Glera and 15% Pinot Nero. The blending of these two varietal components defines the base wine destined for secondary fermentation and distinguishes this version from the other Col del Sol expressions within the range.

SECONDARY FERMENTATION
The second fermentation takes place using a long Charmat method, with 4–5 months of lees contact according to the technical sheet specific to the Extra Brut. This extended period in pressure tank is one of the wine’s key technical features and contributes to its structure, mousse texture and greater complexity compared with a shorter secondary fermentation.

FILTRATION & BOTTLING
At the end of the secondary fermentation, the wine is prepared for bottling while preserving the profile developed during its extended contact with the lees. Vinification, sparkling-wine production and handling of the finished wine are integrated within the estate’s winery in Asolo.

DOSAGE
Col del Sol Extra Brut has 6 g/l residual sugar, a level consistent with its Extra Brut style and with a palate centred on freshness, tension and savoury character.
The producer’s general documentation for Col del Sol also indicates the use of liqueur d’expédition after secondary fermentation.

PRODUCTION PHILOSOPHY
The production approach combines organic viticulture, a Glera–Pinot Nero blend and a long Charmat method, using extended lees contact as a structural component of the wine. The technical direction of the method is to preserve the varietal freshness associated with Asolo Prosecco while integrating greater structure, continuity on the palate and complexity through the prolonged secondary fermentation.

GEOGRAPHICAL ORIGIN & NATURAL CONTEXT
Progress Country & Wine House is located in Asolo, Veneto, in the province of Treviso, within the hilly landscape of the Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG area, at the foot of the Rocca di Asolo and in a setting extending towards the Monte Grappa foothills. The estate lies at around 200 metres above sea level, surrounded by vineyards and olive groves, in an environment characterised by calcareous, rocky and clay-rich soils and a mild climate.

The viticultural history of the Asolo hills is deeply rooted in the territory. The estate’s own documentation refers to the presence of Benedictine monks and, later, to the Venetian nobility established in Asolo from the late fifteenth century onwards, providing the historical background within which Progress Country operates today.

ORIGINS OF THE PROJECT & ENTREPRENEURIAL CONTINUITY
Progress Country & Wine House was created through a project developed by the Venetian entrepreneurs Dennis Bordin, his wife Beatrice, Fanio Pontin and his family, with the aim of enhancing the identity of Asolo through an agricultural estate dedicated to wine and olive-oil production, integrated with hospitality.

Rather than a multi-generational winemaking lineage, the documented origin is therefore that of a contemporary family-led entrepreneurial project, built around land, agriculture and the Asolo territory.

THE TURNING POINT
A central step in the development of the project was the decision to move towards organic viticulture, supported by investment in modern technical solutions for both winery operations and production management.

The winery was developed with contemporary equipment and includes concrete and stainless-steel tanks, wooden vats, CO₂ control systems, a double-membrane press and dedicated vinification technology.

PRODUCTION VISION
Progress Country’s approach brings together territory, organic agriculture and winery technology. The stated objective is to enhance the Asolo context through environmentally attentive production while preserving the local identity of the estate within a broader agricultural system that also includes olive growing.

For Col del Sol, this vision is expressed through the use of Glera and Pinot Nero, organic vineyard management and a deliberately extended secondary fermentation compared with a more conventional Charmat approach.

ORIGIN & IDENTITY OF THE WINE
Col del Sol is one of the central wines in the estate’s range and is directly linked to the Col del Sol Vineyard, also known as Forabosco, one of the individually named vineyards within the property. The site also preserves trenches and cavities dating back to the First World War, adding a further historical and physical dimension to its identity.

The Extra Brut version is composed of 85% Glera and 15% Pinot Nero, is produced from organically grown grapes and undergoes a long Charmat method, with 4–5 months of lees contact according to the specific product technical sheet.

CONTINUITY & CONSISTENCY
The consistency of Col del Sol is built around a number of clearly defined elements: Asolo origin, a named vineyard, organic viticulture, the Glera–Pinot Nero blend and extended lees contact.

The wine therefore maintains a recognisable stylistic direction based on freshness, tension, savoury character, citrus precision and greater structure than more immediate expressions of Prosecco.

BEYOND* IDENTITY
The distinctive value of Col del Sol does not come from artificially constructed rarity, but from the coherence between place, grape varieties, organic viticulture and sparkling-wine method.

The wine is not built around opulence or power, but around a consistent expression of freshness, clarity, tension, savoury character and territorial readability. The presence of Pinot Nero, the connection with a named vineyard and the long Charmat method give it a more structured and less conventional profile than more immediate interpretations of Asolo Prosecco.

LIMITED PRODUCTION
Production of Col del Sol Extra Brut is approximately 5,000 bottles, a deliberately small scale that reflects the selective nature of the wine within the Progress Country range.

This limited volume is particularly relevant when considered alongside its specific 85% Glera and 15% Pinot Nero blend, organic viticulture and long Charmat method, all of which contribute to a more focused production model than that of more standardised Prosecco expressions.

AVAILABILITY
Availability is directly linked to annual production and to the quantities effectively remaining at the producer. With a total production of approximately 5,000 bottles, stock can progressively decrease as the vintage moves through the market.

BEYOND* ALLOCATION
Quantities reserved for BEYOND* are managed according to the producer’s actual availability and confirmed orders, maintaining a selective approach consistent with the wine’s limited production scale.

Any allocation is therefore presented not as a promotional device, but as a direct consequence of the product’s genuinely limited availability.

RESERVATION RECOMMENDED
Advance reservation is particularly recommended for multi-bottle orders, international requests and planned purchases, as availability may decrease significantly once distribution of the vintage is underway.

RARITY
The rarity of Col del Sol Extra Brut does not derive from artificial numbering or a commercially constructed limited release, but from the combination of small-scale production, a named vineyard, the Glera–Pinot Nero blend, organic viticulture and extended secondary fermentation.

CERTIFICATIONS
Certified organic product, certified by Suolo e Salute — IT-BIO-004, as stated in the official Col del Sol Extra Brut documentation.

FALSTAFF
2021 — 89/100
Falstaff records the Col del Sol Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG Extra Brut 2021 with a score of 89 points.

2022 — 92/100 — TASTING 2023
The Col del Sol Extra Brut 2022 received 92 points in the tasting held on 6 October 2023, reviewed by Othmar Kiem and Simon Staffler.

COL DEL SOL EXTRA BRUT — 92/100 — TASTING 2022
An earlier Falstaff tasting dated 26 April 2022, again by Othmar Kiem and Simon Staffler, awarded Col del Sol Extra Brut 92 points.

2023 — 91/100 — TASTING 2024
The Col del Sol Extra Brut 2023 received 91 points in the tasting held on 4 October 2024, reviewed by Simon Staffler and Othmar Kiem.

2024 — 91/100 — TASTING 2025
Falstaff records the Col del Sol Extra Brut 2024 with a score of 91 points, from the tasting dated 26 September 2025.

2024 — 89/100 — TASTING 2026
The same 2024 vintage was tasted again on 24 April 2026 by Othmar Kiem and Simon Staffler, receiving 89 points.

Taken together, these results document a genuine critical continuity for Col del Sol Extra Brut across multiple vintages and multiple tasting sessions, rather than a single isolated recognition.

THE PROSECCO MASTERS — THE DRINKS BUSINESS
2022 — GOLD MEDAL — THE PROSECCO MASTERS 2024

DECANTER WORLD WINE AWARDS
2023 — SILVER MEDAL — 90/100

AMERICA AWARDS
2023 — SILVER AWARD — 90/100

GUIDA BIO 2026 — FOGLIA D’ORO
Col del Sol Extra Brut received the Foglia d’Oro 2026, the special recognition awarded by Guida Bio to organically produced wines that distinguished themselves within their respective tasting panels.