SILVANO FOLLADOR Extra Brut 2025 — Valdobbiadene Sparkling Wine, in Its Purest Expression

APPEARANCE
Bright straw yellow, with a very fine and persistent perlage, particularly delicate for an Extra Brut.

AROMATIC PROFILE
A clean, measured nose, driven more by finesse than aromatic intensity. Notes of fresh white fruit, citrus, white flowers and delicate herbs emerge, accompanied by a subtle mineral nuance and a light hint of yeast and fresh bread. Previous professional descriptions of the wine have also highlighted pear, green apple, hawthorn and gentle vegetal/mineral notes, without ever pushing the profile towards aromatic opulence.

ON THE PALATE
The attack is fresh, taut and precise, supported by a very fine mousse. Despite the 0 g/l residual sugar, the palate never feels austere: it retains a sense of softness and balance, with acidity and savoury character well integrated. The structure is agile yet not slight, also benefiting from six months of ageing on the fine lees in concrete.

FINISH
The finish is dry, clean and dynamic, with good savoury continuity and a measured persistence, focused more on precision and freshness than on power.

OVERALL BALANCE
A sparkling wine of remarkable purity and finesse, in which zero dosage is not perceived as austerity, but rather as a means of bringing greater definition to the wine’s acidity, savoury character and natural structure. This is precisely the philosophy expressed by the producer for this Extra Brut.

DISTINCTIVE CHARACTER
Its personality comes from the blend of Glera with small proportions of Verdiso, Perera and Bianchetta, sourced from the vineyards of Saccol and Santo Stefano, together with spontaneous fermentation and ageing in concrete.

SERVING TEMPERATURE
Serve at 7–9°C. / 45–48°F. to preserve freshness, aromatic definition and the finesse of the perlage.

RECOMMENDED GLASSWARE
A medium-sized white wine glass, slightly narrowing at the rim, is preferable to a narrow flute, allowing greater aromatic expression while maintaining precision and freshness.

FOOD PAIRINGS
Particularly well suited to oysters, shellfish, raw or lightly cured fish, smoked fish, delicate seafood dishes and light fried preparations.

Its freshness, savoury character and zero dosage also work well with vegetable-based dishes, fresh cheeses and refined appetisers, especially where acidity and texture need to remain balanced.

TASTING MOMENT
More than an aperitif: its structure allows it to accompany the opening stages of a meal, from appetisers through delicate seafood and vegetable courses.

BEYOND* SUGGESTION
Allow the wine a few minutes in the glass: a slight rise in temperature reveals greater aromatic detail and texture without compromising its tension and precision.

ORIGIN
Valdobbiadene, in the heart of the Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG hills, between Saccol and Santo Stefano. The Follador family works vineyards inherited and cultivated directly, with a continuity rooted in family-owned land passed down from previous generations.

VINEYARDS
The 2025 vintage comes from 1.4 hectares in Saccol and 1.3 hectares in Santo Stefano, the latter within the Cartizze area. It is not intended as the expression of a single cru: the finest base wines from the vintage are selected and blended to shape the final identity of the wine.

SOIL
The vineyards are rooted in marl and clay soils. Within the broader local context, Saccol shows a marked presence of calcareous marl, while towards Santo Stefano sandstone components become more significant, contributing to the complexity of the base wines used in the final blend.

GRAPE VARIETIES
The blend is based on Glera, with small proportions of Verdiso, Perera and Bianchetta. The presence of these historically local varieties adds greater varietal articulation than a purely monovarietal interpretation.

VINEYARD MANAGEMENT
Training systems include Cappuccina and Guyot. Vineyard management follows a restrained approach, with the use of sulphur, copper, seaweed extracts, zeolite and horn manure, in line with the estate’s agronomic philosophy.

TERRITORIAL IDENTITY
The wine’s identity therefore does not come from the exaltation of a single parcel, but from the balance between two complementary origins, Saccol and Santo Stefano, selected each year according to the quality of the individual base wines. It is this reading of the vintage, rather than a fixed formula, that defines the character of Silvano Follador’s Prosecco Superiore Extra Brut.

HARVEST & PRESSING
The grapes are harvested by hand into small 15 kg crates, which are then emptied directly into the press. The estate has followed this approach since 2007 to reduce unnecessary handling and preserve the integrity of the fruit.

PRIMARY FERMENTATION
Since 2010, the first fermentation has taken place spontaneously with indigenous yeasts, without the use of selected yeasts or fermentation activators. The must ferments slowly, and the wine is racked only once at the end of fermentation to remove the heavier lees.

AGEING IN CONCRETE
After racking, the wine rests for six months on the fine lees in concrete tanks, without further movement during the winter. This stage is considered essential to allow the wine to develop its own balance while preserving a clear connection with its place of origin.

SELECTION OF BASE WINES
Wines from the different vineyards are initially aged separately. At the end of winter, the finest base wines of the vintage are tasted, selected and brought together in a single cuvée. The final wine is therefore not built from a fixed recipe, but from an annual selection aimed at achieving balance between the different origins.

SECONDARY FERMENTATION
In spring, the second fermentation takes place using the Martinotti Method, in temperature-controlled stainless-steel pressure tanks. Neutral selected yeasts are used at this stage, while the primary fermentation remains spontaneous. The secondary fermentation is deliberately not anticipated, allowing the base wines sufficient time to mature on their fine lees.

FILTRATION & BOTTLING
At the end of the secondary fermentation, the yeasts are removed by filtration over approximately one to two months. The estate considers this step functional to achieving fragrance, clarity and precision, while keeping clarification and racking to a minimum during the earlier stages.

DOSAGE
The 2025 vintage is bottled with 0 g/l residual sugar. Zero dosage is not treated as an isolated stylistic statement, but as a way of allowing the wine’s natural balance of acidity, savoury character and structure to emerge with greater clarity.

PRODUCTION PHILOSOPHY
Follador’s approach is based on restrained but deliberate intervention: spontaneous fermentation, minimal racking, clarification only when necessary, extended ageing on fine lees, and no filtration before the secondary fermentation. The aim is not absolute non-intervention, but to preserve clarity, finesse and territorial expression without altering the wine’s natural balance.

INGREDIENTS
Grapes, sugar.
The sugar is used exclusively for the secondary fermentation.
Preservatives: sulphites.
Bottled under protective atmosphere.

ALLERGENS
Contains sulphites.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION PER 100 ML
Energy: 287 kJ / 69 kcal
Carbohydrates: 0.2 g
of which sugars: 0 g
Protein: 0 g
Fat: 0 g
of which saturates: 0 g
Salt: 0 g

ANALYTICAL DATA
Residual sugar: 0 g/l
Alcohol: 11.5% vol.
Added sulphites: 120 mg/l

FORMAT
75 cl

PACKAGING & RECYCLING INFORMATION
Capsule: C/ALU 90 — Aluminium
Wire cage: FE 40 — Steel
Bottle: GL 71 — Glass
Closure: FOR 51 — Natural cork

Disposal should follow the recycling regulations of the local municipality.

GEOGRAPHICAL ORIGIN & NATURAL CONTEXT
Italy, Veneto, province of Treviso, Santo Stefano di Valdobbiadene, in the heart of the Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG hills. The estate operates between Santo Stefano and Saccol, within a steep hilly landscape deeply shaped by viticulture, characterised by narrow slopes, highly fragmented vineyard areas and predominantly manual vineyard work.

Since 2019, the Prosecco Hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene have been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as a cultural landscape, recognised for their distinctive hilly system, grass-covered ciglioni and the historic interaction between people, viticulture and the land.

In the Valdobbiadene area, soils are predominantly derived from marl, sandstone and clay, with local differences determined by slope, exposure and soil depth.

FAMILY ORIGINS & CONTINUITY
Silvano and Alberta Follador continue a family viticultural activity already carried on by their paternal grandfather, who passed away in 1999. From their grandparents they inherited the core vineyards that form the basis of the present estate and, after completing their studies, chose to continue working them directly. The official sources currently available do not state either the grandfather’s name or the precise year in which the family’s winegrowing activity began.

THE TURNING POINT
In its early years, the estate followed a more conventional approach, also relying on external consultancy and producing wines that were technically sound but less representative of its own sensitivity. From 2007, Silvano and Alberta chose to change direction, bringing the work back towards a more direct relationship with vineyard, soil and vintage.

PRODUCTION VISION
From 2004 onward, the estate progressively moved closer to organic and biodynamic practices, eliminating herbicides and chemical fertilisation and reducing intervention in the cellar. Since 2010, the primary fermentation has taken place spontaneously with indigenous yeasts. The estate does not pursue absolute non-intervention, but rather a restrained and conscious approach aimed at preserving clarity, finesse, precision and the wine’s natural balance.

ORIGIN & IDENTITY OF THE WINE
The Extra Brut now represents the clearest synthesis of this evolution. Its production is documented from 2001, a date that should not be confused with the beginning of the family’s viticultural activity, which is certainly earlier but not precisely dated in the available sources.

Spontaneous primary fermentation, extended ageing on fine lees in concrete and a dosage of 0 g/l are the result of a gradual reduction of intervention and residual sugar. From the 2020 vintage onward, the estate chose to focus on a single sparkling interpretation, returning to secondary fermentation in pressure tank as the method considered most suitable for expressing the grape variety and territory with clarity.

CONTINUITY & CONSISTENCY
The Extra Brut now spans more than two decades of documented production. The 2025 technical sheet records 6,600 bottles produced, compared with 13,000 bottles in 2024, showing how final volume depends on vintage conditions and the selection of the finest base wines rather than on a predetermined production target.

BEYOND* IDENTITY
Silvano Follador’s distinctive value does not come from an artificially constructed idea of rarity, but from consistency maintained over time: family vineyards, limited-scale production, spontaneous fermentation, annual selection of the base wines, ageing in concrete and a precise stylistic choice of 0 g/l.

The wine does not seek to standardise the vintage, but to express its character through a consistent signature of finesse, clarity, tension and territorial definition.

LIMITED RELEASE
The 2025 vintage was produced in just 6,600 bottles, selected from the finest base wines of the year sourced from the vineyards of Saccol and Santo Stefano. In 2024, production reached 13,000 bottles, approximately twice the volume of the current vintage. The 2025 release therefore represents a naturally more limited availability, determined by the conditions of the vintage and the qualitative selection of the base wines.

AVAILABILITY
Actual availability depends on the quantities still held by the producer and on any allocations made to different markets. With production on this scale, availability may therefore decrease rapidly during the course of the vintage.

BEYOND* ALLOCATION
Any quantities specifically reserved for BEYOND* will be indicated separately once formally confirmed by the producer. Until then, the documented total production should not be interpreted as guaranteed availability for our channel.

RESERVATION RECOMMENDED
To secure availability of the 2025 vintage, advance reservation is recommended, particularly for multiple-bottle orders or requests intended for international markets.

RARITY
The rarity of the 2025 vintage does not result from artificial numbering or a release created for promotional purposes, but from the combination of limited-scale production, selection of the finest base wines, the specific conditions of the vintage and a total production restricted to 6,600 bottles.

CERTIFICATIONS
No formally declared organic or biodynamic certification has been identified in the verified public sources for this specific reference. The producer does, however, document vineyard practices inspired by organic and biodynamic principles, including the absence of chemical herbicides, the use of copper and sulphur, and biodynamic preparations. These should therefore be considered documented production practices rather than official certifications.

PRODUCT RECOGNITIONS

2024 — James Suckling — 92/100
Valdobbiadene Prosecco Extra Brut 2024. The recognition was reported directly by Silvano Follador in May 2025.

2024 — Antonio Galloni / Vinous — 90/100
Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Extra Brut 2024. This score is reported for the same vintage by a specialist commercial source and should therefore be considered secondary to directly published editorial sources.

2022 — Ian D’Agata / TerroirSense Wine Review — 94/100
Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Extra Brut 2022. The review highlights stylistic continuity with the 2021 vintage, together with fine bubbles, harmonious acidity and a more textured, creamy palate.

2021 — Ian D’Agata / TerroirSense Wine Review — 95/100
Prosecco Superiore Extra Brut 2021. One of the strongest recent critical recognitions for the reference, providing significant international confirmation of the same stylistic line represented today by the 2025 vintage.

2021 — James Suckling — 93/100
Prosecco di Valdobbiadene Superiore Extra Brut 2021. The review was published in May 2022; the vintage of the wine and the publication year should therefore not be confused.

2020 — Decanter / Richard Baudains — 93/100
Prosecco Conegliano-Valdobbiadene Superiore Extra Brut 2020. The review highlights the combination of very low residual sugar, mineral intensity and a distinctly individual character.

2019 — Decanter / Richard Baudains — 96/100
Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Extra Brut 2019. This remains one of the highest documented scores achieved by Silvano Follador’s Extra Brut line.

2019 — Vinous / Eric Guido — 91/100
Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Extra Brut 2019. The wine was described through its composed, dry and mineral profile, with marked saline tension.

HISTORICAL CONTINUITY OF THE PRODUCT

Before the current Extra Brut designation, the same pursuit of dryness, precision and absence of dosage was expressed through the Brut Nature wines, which form the direct stylistic lineage leading to the present reference.

2018 — Gambero Rosso — Tre Bicchieri 2020
Valdobbiadene Brut Nature 2018, recognised among the leading wines of Veneto in the 2020 edition of Vini d’Italia.

2018 — Luca Gardini / Gardini Notes — 95/100
Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Brut Nature 2018. The assessment highlights balance, tension, floral detail and the wine’s ability to express its raw material with precision.

2018 — Decanter / Rebecca Gibb — 91/100
Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Brut Nature 2018.

2018 — Wine Enthusiast / Kerin O’Keefe — 88/100
Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Brut Nature 2018.

2017 — Luca Gardini / Gardini Notes — 95/100
Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Brut Nature Metodo Classico 2017.

2017 — Decanter / Rebecca Gibb — 93/100
Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Brut Nature Metodo Classico 2017.

2014 — Wine Enthusiast / Kerin O’Keefe — 89/100
Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Brut Nature 2014.

2013 — Decanter — 95/100
Valdobbiadene Prosecco Brut Nature 2013. One of the most significant historical recognitions, demonstrating that the pursuit of dryness, tension and complexity was already firmly established in this stylistic line many years before the current Extra Brut.

CRITICAL CONTINUITY
The sequence of recognitions documents a critical continuity extending over more than a decade, from the earlier Brut Nature vintages to the present Extra Brut at 0 g/l. Decanter, Ian D’Agata, James Suckling, Vinous, Gambero Rosso, Luca Gardini and Wine Enthusiast have assessed this stylistic trajectory at different stages.

The significance lies not simply in the accumulation of individual scores, but in the recurrence of qualified critical recognition over time, across different vintages and independent international sources.

PRODUCER RECOGNITIONS
At estate level, Silvano Follador has also received the Slow Wine “Chiocciola”, an award attributed to producers for the overall coherence of their wines, territorial identity and environmental approach. As this recognition applies to the producer rather than to a specific vintage, it is kept clearly separate from the awards directly associated with the Extra Brut.

BEYOND* NOTE
Recognitions are presented as complementary documentary evidence and do not constitute the selection criterion of BEYOND*. The value of the wine remains grounded in the continuity and clarity of the relationship between origin, vineyard, grape variety, production method and wine.