Pick out your perfect prosecco
Morrisons The Best Prosecco Spumante (£6, down from £8, until December 16)
Morrisons’ wine tickles the tastebuds with citrus, apple and pear, but the flavours disappear quite quickly.
“Not very exciting” and “a bit bland” said two of the tasters. This wine doesn’t bowl you over but is pleasant enough. I thought it had a memory of cider – but that would be the apples for you.
Tasting elves say: A party where flavour doesn’t count
Waitrose San Leo Prosecco Brut (£7.29 from £10.99 until January 1)
Pear and lychee deliver a fruity hug in this glass of fizz, but beyond that the tasting elves weren’t impressed. The tropical fruit was a positive note, but for me those fruit notes, even though they were lovely, didn’t last very long.
The lychee aromas might be a good choice for some Chinese or Thai nibbles as a party starter.
Tasting elves say: Citrussy fizz disappears quite quickly A whopping 22 marks separated the winning wine from this one, but Tesco’s prosecco still received much praise. The mousse and bubbles are determined to make a statement, staying long in the glass. There are lots of pears and apples on the nose and then apples leave the longest flavour legacy. Tasting elves say:
Prosecco Asolo Brut DOCG (£7 until January 2, Asda)
Those tell-tale prosecco signs of pear, apple and a flirtation of tropical fruit are pleasing in this wine, but not pleasing enough for my elves to give it higher marks than they did.
It was “middle of the road” said one, and “inoffensive” said another. I wasn’t overwhelmed by the flavours, but on the other hand, it was a very easy-drinking wine, great for a chat with girlie pals.
Tasting elves say: Subtle peach undertones This has a willowy wave of flowers on the nose, together with apples and pears. It smells nicer than it tastes, said one of my elves, but even so they were pleasantly happy with the wine’s peachy aftertaste. The prosecco grape glera was joined in the bottle with a touch of chardonnay and pinot bianco. It’s one for a night in. Tasting elves say:
Prosecco Superiore DOCG (Aldi, £7.99)
When you see DOCG on an Italian wine label, it indicates the wine is of superior quality. There were a handful of
DOCG wines in our test, and this finished the lowest of them all. It was certainly the liveliest in my glass on the bubble factor. Other than that it was “bland” according to one elf, and seconded by another who said “unforgettable”. It was easier to drink than some.
Tasting elves say: Lovely persistent bubbles
Viticoltori Organic Prosecco Extra Dry (£7.99, Lidl)
A mixed reception from my blind tasters. One, who sensed a coffee aroma, said it had a nice depth and was easy to drink; another declared it had decent citrus notes and good balance. Pears, pears and pears was my view. I rather like the wave of organic prosecco hitting the shelves yet this one just missed the top marks.
Tasting elves say:
Co-op Irresistible Prosecco (£8)
Oh my, this blind-tasting world is so interesting! The Co-op’s prosecco has won a couple of awards but it failed to impress my elf tasters. (For the second year on the trot it has finished bottom of our prosecco fizz festive taste test). A very fair comment from one of my tasters is “good nose loaded with green apple and sweet pear” which mirrored what I thought. However, the taste is unimpressive.
Tasting elves say: Fruity aroma but bland