May 22, 2024, 1.28pm | edited by Gambero Rosso
Garganega, the protagonist grape variety of Soave wine, is the most important native white grape in Veneto. Here we offer you a selection of great Soave wines all rated with Tre Bicchieri or Due Bicchieri Rossi.
Tastings of great satisfaction this year in Veneto, certainly determined by a series of excellent vintages such as 2021 and 2022 which, although diametrically opposed, gave rise to wines with refined aromas with gustatory dynamics of great tension and agility in the first case, and in intensely fruity wines, available and immediate in the second. Here we focus on the Soave wines, which during the tastings for the Gambero Rosso Vini d’Italia 2024 guide we found clear in their typical aromatic expression and with a fine and slender taste profile,
The Garganega grape variety
The protagonist grape variety of Soave is undoubtedly the Garganega, which must be present from 70.0% to 100.0% (the other vines that can make it up are Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco and Trebbiano di Soave up to 30.0%). Garganega is the most important native white grape of the Veneto region and in particular of the Soave and Gambellara areas. Its origins are uncertain, but we know that the Veronese area was already famous for the production of wine since ancient times. An agricultural tradition that has spanned the centuries up to the present day. We find traces of this ancient vocation for viticulture in the Palace of Justice of Soave, on whose walls the inscription is carved “I, a house friendly to law, was built fifteen decades after the 1300s… when the villagers pressed with the feet the grapes”.
The production area of Soave covers the entire eastern hilly area of the province of Verona, but the oldest and most historically suited area is the Classic one, which is located on the hilly reliefs of Monteforte d’Alpone and Soave. The soils of the hills are of very ancient volcanic origin, with a prevalence of black basaltic rocks, extrusions of tuff and limestone veins, which give the wine of this precious terroir surprising and deep mineral notes. The steep slopes of Soave allow splendid exposures, which guarantee perfect ripening of the grapes.
Garganega is usually grown according to the traditional Veronese pergola system. It is a vigorous and productive vine, with elongated bunches and beautiful golden yellow berries. On the soils of ancient volcanic origin of Soave and Gambellara, it has found its land of choice. Here it manages to express itself with high quality levels, giving fascinating, long-lived wines, characterized by a clear mineral profile. Vinified alone, it expresses an interesting bouquet, with aromas of white flowers, fruity aromas, tropical notes and an almond finish. It stands out above all for a great taste balance, which gives the wine body, structure and a certain softness. Aging in steel, which better preserves the varietal aromas of the grape, is increasingly accompanied by aging in barrels or barriques, which helps to give the wine greater aromatic complexity and structure.
Garganega also lends itself to over-ripening in the vineyard, used to make more concentrated and soft wines from late harvests. The vine’s natural propensity for drying is exploited above all to create some of the most famous and appreciated dessert wines: Recioto di Soave Docg and Recioto di Gambellara Docg.
The Soave Doc
The Doc Soave, among the oldest in Italy, recognized by royal decree in 1931, consists of approximately 7 thousand hectares of vineyards, in 13 municipalities east of Verona, partly on hills of volcanic origin. Soave was also the first Italian production area to enter the national register of rural landscapes of historical interest, which was then followed by the recognition of Giahs-FAO (Globally important agricutural heritage system), dedicated to agricultural areas in the world that promote sustainable agriculture, far from industrial processes, and which maintains a close link between landscape, local products and associated rural communities.
The 2021 version of Monte Ceriani is excellent, a Soave with smoky and delicately sulphurous aromas that leave room for a clear fruity expression. The palate is energetic and characterized by a marked acidity. Born by the will of the brothers Armando, Tiziano, Paolo and Massimo Castagnedi at the end of the last century, Tenuta Sant’Antonio has become in the space of a few years one of the protagonists of the success of Amarone and Valpolicella in the world. Today the company can rely on a large prestigious viticultural platform that extends between eastern Valpolicella and the Soave area. The entry of the new generations has brought renewed attention to the environmental impact of all activities linked to the world of wine.
Full Article: https://www.gamberorosso.it/notizie/notizie-vino/migliori-soave-gambero-rosso/