Italy — wine
Soave DOC
East of Verona. Garganega grape (75%+ mandatory) — lemon, almond, white peach, mineral finish. Soave Classico (historic hillside zone, far superior) vs expanded flatland DOC. Soave Superiore DOCG from the classico. Pieropan proved Soave could be serious and age-worthy. Best examples age 8–10 years developing nutty complexity.
Benchmark products
Vintage assessments
| Year | Rating | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | — | Exceptional vintage for Soave Classico — benchmark aromatics and mineral intensity. |
| 2022 | 85 | Good warm vintage. Rich, generous Garganega. Less typical minerality but enjoyable. |
| 2021 | — | Good vintage; hillside Classico wines showing excellent balance and mineral precision. |
| 2020 | — | Outstanding year; Garganega wines of exceptional aromatic complexity and depth. |
| 2019 | 89 | Excellent. Soave Classico (volcanic basalt soils) producing wines of extraordinary mineral precision. |
| 2018 | 88 | Very good Soave. Garganega from Classico zone delivering classic citrus, almond, and mineral. Pieropan and Gini exceptional. |