The one thing that I heard throughout my trip to Italy was that, for a period from the 1950s through to the 1980s, Italy went through a period where bulk was best. Coming from a car loving background I can see that this wasn't just in wine, but in their automotive endeavours too. During this period, FIAT, for example was making outstanding, beautifully designed cars for the masses that were made so shoddily that they would rust into a pile of brown metal after a light drizzle. But despite bulk being best, this didn't stop Pieropan buying up land planted with older, lower yielding vines, and focussing on quality. Even today, a lot of Soave is mass produced rubbish. If you want Garganega at a fiver, don't buy Soave as it is bound to be pretty bad, focus on Garganega grown outside of the Soave region and you are going to get a better wine.
Pieropan was founded in 1890, and is now in its fourth generation of the family. They are renowned for their Soave wines, including the single vineyards, but they also have a dream to produce red wines too. Brothers Andrea and Dario Pieropan bought a property in the Valpolicella and Amarone production area, and planted vines, and I was fortunate to try some of these including their as yet unreleased Amarone. First though, the whites.
2010 Pieropan Soave
Light, fresh lemon aroma, a bit of grapefruit too, peach as well. A bit of minerally note on the nose too. The palate has a nice oily element to it, a bit like Jasmine tea in texture, some grapefruit and a little bit of honey coming off too. Some fresh lemon juice, a bit of pepper coming off too. Very well balanced, a clean finish, but needing a little bit of time to settle down. The finish is very long with some lovely minerality to it. 88pts £11.99
2009 Pieropan Soave Classico Calvarino
More of the white peach, some sea salt and a little bit of lime juice coming through. Very fresh aroma, some zingy notes with just a bit of sweetened pear coming through. The palate is dry, with a lovely oily, floral element on the palate. Yet despite that floral note, it is zingy, with some really lovely freshness. A pepper note on the finish too. 91pts £18.99
2009 Pieropan Soave Classico La Rocca
Full, round, honey notes, with some lovely buttered brioche and ginger coming off the nose. The palate is fuller, rounded with some more ginger, a bit of bitter lemon notes, mixed with some creamy, oaky elements. A lovely chewy wine, some vegetal elements coming though with mo spice on the finish, yet it does clean up and makes a super, Burgundian-esque wine, but like Burgundy wines at two years old, it is too young. 90pts £23.99
2008 Pieropan Valpolicella Ruberpan
Some sherbet strawberries and a little bit of cherry coke with a little bit of liquorice and aniseed ball coming through. The palate has a cherry with a little bit of spice coming through. Really spicy, a little high alcohol and with a fresh raspberry meets sour cherry. The finish is well balanced, some good fresh, crisp red berries and a little under ripe strawberry and pepper finish. 89pts £21.99
2008 Pieropan Amarone (not yet released)
Big, sweet and full of cherries, dried raisins and a bit of chocolate. Almost soupy on the nose, lots of big, juicy berries, tobacco and dark chocolate covered toffee. A big, juicy palate, lots of cherry, some aniseed, a bit of clove and then a dark, liquorice and tar flavour. Very dark, very rich and with some lovely baked berries throughout. 90pts £N.A.
2007 Pieropan Le Colombare Recioto di Soave
Macerated peaches coated in honey with a little bit of summer flowers coming through. A little sweet bacon fat coming off as well with a bit of spice. The palate is soft, a lemony, peppery note. Very good balance, a lovely warming palate with lots of zingy and rich lemon with a bundle of pepper to the end. 90pts £24.99
2006 Pieropan Passito della Rocca
A lot of gooseberry jam, some lemon and lime aromas coming through. The palate is good with a lovely savoury lime element coming through. Very well balanced, with just a slight bitterness on the back end. Really really good and very understated. 91pts
I tend not to cellar white wines, I know I should, but I don't. I have some German wines, the occasional Burgundy, but that is it, except for Pieropan Soave, where I have a few magnums of the La Rocca and Calvarino from a few vintages ago. I feel that these older bottles may be being joined by some newer wines from this stable pretty soon.
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