Most of the world thinks they know Prosecco: an easy, sweetish fizz for summer parties and quick toasts. Then, one quiet evening, you open a black bottle from a small family estate hidden in the steep hills of Valdobbiadene, and everything you believed collapses in a single sip. Suddenly the wine is bone-dry, vibrating with mountain freshness, carrying the scent of wild herbs and limestone, and finishing with a salty whisper that lingers for minutes. That is the moment you meet Follador (link), producers since 1769, still almost unknown in the German-speaking world, yet crafting some of the most exciting sparkling wines on the planet today. This is their story, and the story of four 2024 crus that deserve a place in every serious wine lover’s glass.

An Unforgettable Hilltop Moment

Key findings – what makes Follador’s vineyards special at a glance

• Among the steepest slopes of the entire DOCG (up to 70 %) → everything harvested by hand
• Among the highest altitudes (250–420 m) →  cool nights, vibrant natural acidity
• Poor, rocky, extremely well-drained soils → tiny yields, intense concentration
• Two very distinct terroirs only a few kilometres apart, yet producing clearly different wines

Why Follador Matters in Today’s Prosecco World

Prosecco has become the world’s most popular sparkling wine: over 600 million bottles a year. Yet 90 % of what most people drink comes from the flatlands of the DOC zone and is made in giant factories.

Follador plays in a completely different league:

• Family-owned since 1769 (255 years)
• Only grapes from the UNESCO World Heritage hills of Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG (link)
• Specialisation in single-vineyard “Rive” and cru wines
• Extremely long second fermentation on the lees (6–8 months instead of the usual 30–60 days)
• Dosage kept very low: most cuvées Brut or Extra Brut
• Still flying under the radar outside Italy, which keeps prices astonishingly reasonable for the quality

In short: if you think you already know Prosecco, you haven’t met Follador Follador (link) yet.

Tasting the Four Wines

Fosèlios 2024, Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Millesimato Brut

Open at least 30–45 minutes ahead (or even better, decant into a normal white-wine carafe). Served straight from the fridge this wine can appear almost mute; give it air and it blossoms over the next two hours.

The classic, vivid entry into the Follador world. 11.5% alc. Pale straw yellow, persistent, needle-fine perlage. At first the bouquet is discreet, then it unfurls: warm brioche and plaited bread, green apple, lemon zest, barely ripe pineapple, white exotic fruits, spring blossoms and a delicate veil of lightly toasted shelled almonds. Everything is perfectly woven – fresh, elegant and irresistibly inviting. Floral notes become more pronounced with time in the glass. Full and juicy on the palate, the mousse caresses rather than attacks. Razor-sharp acidity is wrapped in a creamy texture from the long lees ageing. The finish is long, subtly salty and leaves the mouth tingling and refreshed. A brilliant aperitivo that easily accompanies an entire meal and keeps begging for another pour. Drink / keep: 2025 – 2028/29. 17.5–17.75/20 (91–92/100).

XZero 2024, Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Millesimato Extra Brut

This wine has earned strong accolades from experts, but the highest published numerical rating to date is 94 points (link) from Eros Teboni -World’s Best Sommelier 2023 and curator of The Wine Journal (link)– for the currently available 2023 release—making it the top score in his „Special Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG“ review.

Zero dosage, zero compromise. Only 3–4 g/l residual sugar (natural).

11.5% alc. A wine that captivates with its complexity; its character differs from all other Prosecco wines, regardless of their quality and origin. Fascinating… and mysterious at the same time. Fundamentally demanding, which makes it thoroughly impressive. Be sure to lay it down until it reaches full drinking maturity. And please forget that sparkling wines should be served in flûtes à champagne. The fact that XZero is almost colourless, actually silver-green, and the finesse of its perlage leave no one indifferent. The nose on the first evening? A puzzle: you search, you ask questions, and the wine mercilessly answers “Please wait”. Citrus peel, white peach, bread crust and a distinct smoky note can still be detected. The energy of the limestone has spoken. One sip and we are on a journey to the mountains – Nani dei Berti with even greater precision, greater purity and even more tautness. This is not the Prosecco that most people know. This Prosecco is grown on some of the steepest, most barren and mineral-rich soils in the entire Conegliano Valdobbiadene region. And that is the price of fame. A wine for purists, with an endless finish. 18-18.25/20 (93-94/100). To enjoy till 2035.

What Makes Follador Different – Vineyard Work and Winemaking

• Extreme steep slopes → tiny yields

• No herbicides for over 15 years

• Long Martinotti fermentation at low temperature, 6–8 months on lees

• No malolactic, minimal SO₂

• Bottling under low pressure to preserve the finest bubbles

That’s it

Follador is the kind of discovery that reminds us why we fell in love with wine in the first place: a family, a unique terroir, and bottles that deliver far more than they promise on paper. If you have never experienced what Prosecco can be when it is made with passion and restraint, start here. You may never go back.