Pieropan, Soave Classico
Wine Description:
This wine is brilliant straw yellow in colour, with greenish hints. On the nose it has aromas of white flowers, almond blossoms, marzipan and a touch of citrus. The palate is rounded and has flavours of ripe fruit perfectly balanced by a fresh, clean acidity. Long and fragrant, it has a note of fine, almond pastry on the finish.
The grapes for this wine come from the hillside vineyards in the heart of the Soave Classico area. The vineyards are located at an altitude of 100-300 metres above sea level and are west-facing, boasting clay-basalt soils that are volcanic in origin. The vines are between 6 and 60 years old and trained in both the Guyot system (5,200 vines per hectare) and the Pergola Veronese system (3,000 vines per hectare). The grapes are grown organically without the use of pesticides or chemicals.Grapes were hand picked, starting from mid-September for the Trebbiano di Soave and from October for the Garganega, and taken immediately to the winery. Upon arrival, the fruit was destemmed and crushed. Fermentation took place in glass-lined cement tanks of 60,120 and 180hl at 14-18°C. The wine then remained on its fine lees until bottling the following spring, with further ageing in bottle for another month before release.
Producer Description
The Pieropan family has produced wines in Soave since the 1890s and today, their estate comprises 58 hectares of vineyards planted on the stony hills of Soave Classico. In the early 1930s, they were the first producer to bottle a wine with the name Soave on the label. Nino Pieropan took over from his father in 1970 and became the first producer to make a single-vineyard Soave, ‘Calvarino’ in 1971. When Nino sadly passed away in 2018, his two sons, Andrea and Dario, began running the estate, continuing their family’s traditions and passion for making outstanding wine.
The Soave Classico has a richness and zest that is extremely attractive. It is scented and beautifully defined, with hints of honeysuckle and almond on the finish. Pieropan are famed for their two single-vineyard wines. The ‘Calvarino’ vineyard, owned by the family since 1901, is planted on the classic volcanic basalt of Soave Classico, while the ‘La Rocca’ vineyard is planted on the only limestone outcrop in the zone. The former is unoaked and mineral, reminiscent of good Chablis, while the latter, fermented in 500-litre barrels, is rich and opulent. ‘La Rocca’ has won seven gold medals at the International Wine Challenge over the years. Such consistency is rare but entirely expected from an outstanding producer like Pieropan.