And while a fifth GUINNESS PRO12 win of the season proved just beyond them on Saturday, Bortolami could not fault his players' efforts.
Munster had held a narrow 13-12 lead at half-time at the Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi thanks to a converted try from Mark Chisholm and two Ian Keatley penalties.
Zebre would not roll over though, with Kelly Haimona's four first-half penalties keeping them well within touch.
But despite Keatley's second-half drop goal eventually earning the visitors a 16-12 win, Bortolami had nothing but praise for his team.
"Honestly I think that that was our best game of the year against a tough team who committed a few errors: it was a great game to play in, and I'm just sorry we did not win," he said.
"The team's performance was of a high standard. When the players make the right choices and play with consistency they promote positivity and personality. Our effort was right up there.
"It is a different regret from the Gloucester defeat. I asked the boys to earn the respect of their teammates and they have done that on the field as well as gaining the respect of all those present in the stadium."
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