We bring you the best Proseccos from this year’s largest blind tasting of this popular Italian fizz – The Prosecco Masters – taking in a range of styles and prices as well as a pink bottle, an organic drop, and a celebrity-backed brand.

The selection below represents some of the most exciting finds from the competition, which comprised around 200 Proseccos, all of which were assessed without any knowledge of the producer behind them.

A full report, including all the medallists from the Prosecco Masters 2021, will be published in the May edition of the drinks business.

For now, read on for our top 10 Proseccos for all styles and occasions.

Galanti Prosecco, Extra Dry, Prosecco DOC, NV (14g/l)

Proving that Prosecco can deliver plenty of punch at a low price is this fizz from Galanti, complete with plenty of ripe, fresh peach and pear fruit. With 14g/l of residual sugar, it falls into the ‘extra dry’ category, with its characteristic creamy texture and gentle sweetness. A good, full-flavoured, soft and simple Prosecco at a keen price.

• Price: £10-11
• Medal: Silver

Villa Sandi ‘Il Fresco’, Prosecco di Treviso DOC, Brut, NV (14g/l)

Moving marginally up the price ladder is this lively Prosecco from top producer Villa Sandi with its flavours of elderflower, pear and zesty grapefruit, and a mouth-filling richness from its 14g/l of residual sugar, even though it’s labelled as Brut (which is traditionally used for fizz with 12g/l or lower).

• Price: £11-14
• Medal: Gold

Maschio Prosecco DOC Treviso Vino Spumante, Extra Dry, NV (13g/l)

A benchmark example of a crowd-pleasing Prosecco style, with ripe yellow fruit, a hint of sweetness (13g/l), and then a crisp apple finish with a touch of chalk, making for lovely creamy-textured refreshment.

• Price: £15-20
• Medal: Gold

Sensi 18k Prosecco DOC Brut, 2020 (12g/l)

Representing the pinnacle of the DOC Prosecco experience along with Bottega in this year’s competition was this outstanding fizz from Sensi, called 18k – in reference to 18 Karat gold. What’s so good about it? It has layers of flavour – from honeydew melon, peach and pear – and a brilliant balance, the fruit is ripe, the texture creamy, and the finish bright, with a lovely cleansing lick of lime zest to refresh the palate.

• Price: £15-20
• Medal: Master – Prosecco Masters 2021

Andreola, Más de Fer, Rive de Soligo, Extra Dry, DOCG Prosecco, NV (14g/l)

If you want to try a ‘terroir’ expression of Prosecco, then seek out the Rive classification, which can be employed for special sites in the DOCG, normally those on steeper slopes that yield more concentrated wines. And the leader for such a Prosecco type is Andreola, who make four Rive Proseccos of outstanding quality. One of them, from Rive de Soligo, uses fruit from a vineyard at 400m above sea level called Más de Fer, to create an indulgent Prosecco, with pristine peach and pear flavours, a mouth-filling rich texture, and a bright, apple and citrus finish.

• Price: £15-20
• Medal: Gold

Col Vetoraz, Extra Dry, DOCG Prosecco, NV (16g/l)

New to the Prosecco Masters this year was this drop from Col Vetoraz, which impressed us for its generosity and intensity. At the sweeter end of the spectrum with 16g/l residual sugar, there is some noticeable mouth-filling richness, along with ripe peach and pear flavours. But if that sounds a bit heavy, fear not, this is a balanced glass of fizz, with the sweet fruit more than offset by a fresh lemon zest acidity.

• Price: £15-20
• Medal: Gold

P.Lex Organic Brut, Prosecco DOC, NV (11g/l)

Although niche, there is a growth area in Prosecco: organic variants. But are they any good? Well, this sample called P.Lex was one of the highest-scoring Proseccos of the day, and employs organically-grown Glera – which is the grape of Prosecco. It has a lovely array of flavours, with honey and mango dominating, a touch of orange blossom, and then a lingering pear and apple fresh fruit finish.

• Price: £10-15
• Medal: Master

Della Vite Prosecco DOCG, Extra Dry, NV (14g/l)

Made by respected Prosecco producer Foss Marai for the Delevingne sisters, this is a new celebrity-backed sparkling wine brand, and it looks good, and, importantly, tastes good too. Loaded with fresh peach and pear, and containing 14g/l of residual sugar, it’s a soft style of Prosecco, but with enough zesty, chalky freshness to keep one sipping. It’s not cheap, but it’s a lovely top-end expression.

• Price: £25
• Medal: Gold

Bisol Prosecco Cartizze Valdobbiadene Superiore, NV (25g/l)

If you’ve never tried Cartizze, then you haven’t experienced the ultimate Prosecco. Hailing from a small, steeply-sloping hill in the heart of Valdobbiadene, this site offers an intensely fruity, richly-textured sparkling taste, and a master of this style is Bisol1542. Indeed, its Cartizze was the highest scoring sample in this year’s Prosecco Masters, and 2020’s too, wowing for its combination of peaches and cream, candied orange, honeydew melon, and hint of lime zest. It’s full, sweet, layered, and wonderfully refreshing too.

• Price: £40
• Medal: Master

Bottega Pink Gold, Brut, NV (11g/l)

It’s been a long time coming, but pink Prosecco is finally here, and it offers all the appeal of the clear fizz, with a touch of red berry fruit, and a pretty look. For a brilliant example of this additional offer from Prosecco DOC – the DOCG hasn’t authorised its production – then turn to Bottega. This strikingly packaged Prosecco is a delicious salmon pink drop, with peaches and melon, soft sweet strawberry, and a chalky bright finish.

• Price: £20-30
• Medal: Gold

About the competition

The Global Prosecco Masters is a competition created and run by the drinks business, and forms part of its successful Masters series for noble grape varieties, such as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir; major wine styles, from sparkling to rosé; and famous regions including Rioja, Champagne and Tuscany. The competition is exclusively for Prosecco. The top wines were awarded Gold, Silver or Bronze medals according to their result, and those expressions that stood out as being outstanding in their field received the ultimate accolade – the title of Prosecco Master. This report features the medal winners only.

Please visit The Global Masters website for more information, or, to enter future competitions – giving you the chance to feature online and in print – please call: +44 (0) 20 7803 2420 or email Sophie Raichura at: sophie@thedrinksbusiness.com