Pieropan, Soave Classico

Descrizione

One of the most delightful glasses of win you can hold in your hand. Classic, authoritative, consistent and justifiably one of the most admired wines from the region, this is a smooth yet bright, fresh and rewarding wine. Full of ripe yellow fruits, citrus notes it is delivered via a mid-weight palate that balances round fruit texture with natural acidity and complexity. Delicious.

This is the wine that did a huge amount of spade-work for this winery, yet it is nowhere near the top of their tree when it comes to being a flagship. It’s one of the interesting points that wineries who champion their single-site specialties, yet depend massively on the success and consistent affection that the ‘estate’ wine provides. What they call their liveliest wine has been made in this way since the 1900s on their estate in the hills to the south of the pre-Alps, around the city of Verona. You can’t get much more romantic than that.

The wine is made from a range of vines, from six to sixty years of age (though in truth, this is mostly made from the younger vines) that have been part of the Pieropan family’s estate, that has been increasing (growing, as it were), over the last hundred and twenty years. It’s an entirely organic estate, which is impressive given the close proximity of other growers in the Soave region – many estates appear to be almost Burgundian in their closeness.

Low-temperature fermentation in concrete tanks allows for the best of the flavours of grape and soil to be expressed in the ferment, before being aged on the fine lees for anywhere between 3 and 8 months. This adds complexity where other wines from the region may leave you with the impression that Soave rests on its reputation as being made in a beautiful location. That is not the case here. This is a wine that should make you want to try all other Soaves that you can get your hands on: just so long as they are as conscientiously made as this!

It’s had a tricky time because many companies that make large volumes have indeed created that impression – and the wines have become worse and worse as years go by. Not unlike Chianti in all truth. When we, as consumers, vote with our wallets, the changes come and the best way to do this is to find the best of the traditionalists whose operations are consistent and true – good grapes usually make good wine.

That’s the secret here. No added romance – it’s perfectly romantic as it is.