Italiano
Soave: a land and the many sides of wine
Soave wine is composed of a combination of the versatility of structure, balance, flavor, elegance, a distinct salinity and caressing softness.
Recognized as a “typical wine” as far back as 1931, Soave is much more than just a wine. It is a territory, a sustainable winemaking system and a protected rural landscape that all coexist in a dynamic space that has a fiery and turbulent geological origin.
Aside from the characteristics of its grapes, first among them Garganega, and the winemaking methods used, Soave wines are the product of the individual pedoclimatic realities the grapes grow in. Thus apart from the differences in style among the many talented producers, to understand Soave it is crucial to understand, in an overall way, how the vines and grapes respond to different soils.
The vineyards situated on the volcanic hills (50-550m above sea level) have a very thick density and are broken into individual parcels of 0.3 hectares. The average age of the vines is higher than in other areas and more than 50% are over 30 years old. Garganega represents 95% of the grapes cultivated here with the rest Trebbiano di Soave, Pinot Bianco and Chardonnay. The wines produced are bold and balanced with aromas of spice that embellish fruity and floral bouquets, where notes of almond and berries, even red ones, clearly stand out. The wine’s freshness is pronounced and the acidic streak is essential.
The chalky hills (50-200m above sea level), as opposed to the volcanic ones, have a softer pitch and the vines are spalliera-trained. The lesser amount of available water combined with the basically basaltic soil give vigor to the Garganega grapes, which dominate the area, producing wines with a great aromatic appeal, thanks to distinct scents of tropical and Mediterranean fruits, as well as good body and a bracing acidity.
The volcanic-origin plains (30-100m above sea level), as opposed to the hills, have relatively young vines, between 10 and 20 years, in great part the result of replanting following the severe frosts of 1985. The vineyards, for the most part Garganega, produce wines with distinct freshness and fruity and spice aromas.
The chalky plains, in the areas of Illasi and Colognola, have a slightly higher altitude than the rest of the zone (100-120m above sea level as opposed to 35-50m) and host vines that are over 30 years of age and produce a lower yield. Overall, the wines from this area are often denser and defined by an evident freshness, above all in the zone of Soave. The structure of the wines of Illasi and Colognola is more slender but the wines are always elegant with aromas that are fruity and even have hints of violet.
