Italiano
Calvarino Pieropan, Soave’s the solemn face (2)
After our chat with Andrea Pieropan, published yesterday, today we will focus on a vertical tasting of Soave Calvarino.
In the glass and over the years, Soave Calvarino has proved to be a wine that can at the same time express the fruity elegance of the appellation and the delicate chalky character of the vineyard it is from. It is a wine with a noteworthy stylistic continuity (except for the veil of tannins found in vintage 2003, presumably due to extreme hot weather) and a DNA of a champion that can not only improve with age but is also excellent when young.
All of the of the following wines are blends of 70% Garganega and 30% Trebbiano di Soave that mature in glass-lined cement vats without any malolactic fermentation.
Over the past 3-4 years, Calvarino’s retail price has remained below 20 euros, although the older wines fetch a significantly higher price, much depending on the wine shop where you find it. Vintage 1996, on the other hand, is a very rare and almost impossible to find in a shop but sometimes comes up in an auction.
Calvarino 45° Anniversario Soave Classico 2016
A pale, straw color and a bouquet of floral aromas and notes of pear, flint and a hint of cookie. The attack of the mouthfeel is fine and progresses in a taper way to a close with a delicate and firm persistence. A magnificent wine.
96/100
€ 19
Calvarino Soave Classico 2012
The product of a bold year, this has a warm, straw color and nice aromas of hydrocarbons mingled with notes of peach and almond. The mouthfeel has great elegance but lacks a bit of freshness (even for a delicate wine like Calvino). The finish is dry but retains its delicateness.
92/100
€ 28
Calvarino Soave Classico 2010
The color is light and very youthful, a lively yet pale straw-yellow. The aroma alternates between notes of chalk powder, some white pepper, wax and green pineapple. As always, the mouthfeel is fine and tapered, even if a bit tight at the center of the palate, and the finish is distinctly chalky.
93/100
€ 28
Calvarino Soave Classico 2007
The product of a hot and excellent year, this is the first wine with a slightly golden color with aromas of sage and a hint of citrus. The mouthfeel is tapered while the finish is magnificent, salty, with alternating sensations of wax, white rose and a touch of mushroom. This was the first Calvarino in the tasting that had reached its peak. So solemn. A magnificent wine, one of Italy’s best whites.
95/100
€ 30
Calvarino Soave Classico 2006
A humid and wet year but the wine maintains an extraordinary precision, without any of the earthy/vegetal sensations typical of rainy years. The aroma is a citrus infusion with a hint of camphor and white pepper plus a very delicate chalky note. The mouthfeel is neither cold nor austere but very solemn and quite chalky. Extraordinary.
94/100
€ 30
Calvarino Soave Classico 2003
It is difficult to find a 2003 in this condition. The color is a distinct but not heavy golden and, in fact, the wine is not heavy at all. When first opened there is a strong aroma of glutamate but the bouquet the opens to scents of salted cookies, smoke and a splendid note of white rose. The creamy attack of the mouthfeel is indicative of the year and the evolution of the flavor is marked by a veil of tannins that adds character to the mouthfeel. The finish is elegant, not warm, with notes of smoke and white flowers. A true surprise.
€ 30
Vigneto Calvarino Soave Classico 1996
The color is almost that of a mature Chablis, a light and nervous green-golden, and the bouquet initially recalls those from the central Loire Valley with notes of fern, pepper seeds and honey mushroom. After a few minutes the aroma softens and shifts towards scents of rose and honey without losing any nuances. As always, the mouthfeel is very delicate, more flavorful than the younger wines, with no gap on the palate and a vegetal finish. This is perhaps more “1996” than “Soave” or “Calvarino”. An extraordinary wine from a complicated year that drew the profile of wines in an emblematic way.
Only found at auctions.
94/100
