2014Pieropan2014 Pieropan, Soave Classico DOC, Veneto, Italy.
The 2014 Soave Classico by Pieropan is fabulous and a gorgeous white wine that almost reminds me of a great Condrieu! The Pieropan Classico is made from all organic 85% Garganega and 15% Trebbiano di Soave (the same as Ugni Blanc) grown on hillside plots and hand tended, Pieropan ferments and ages the Soave Classico in glass lined cement vats, it is always aged on the lees, all of which really shows in the quality and detail of this beautiful wine. The nose is full of white flowers, crushed stones and peach leading to a stylish palate of vitality and class with honeysuckle, tangerine, apricot, steely mineral elements, verbena, brioche and melon notes as well as vibrant acidity and a background of delicacy and subtle spice, earth and clarified creme. While not as intense as Viognier in it’s purest form, this lovely Pieropan really excels and has that evocative perfume, grace and sex appeal that you find in Condrieu, this is impressive stuff, and this is their “normale” basic example! When I was young I used to buy jugs of Sauve, it was always an easy white wine and great with picnics, days at the beach and a good seafood wine, and now, going full circle I’m finding the quality showing in the top estates reaching new heights, Pieropan and Gini are making awesome stuff these days and they can rival anything in their price class! This 2014 Pieropan Soave Classico is a stunner, drink this over the next 2 or 3 years, if you want a great example of Garganega and of special terroir, you should grab a few bottles of this beauty, best from 2015 to 2019.
($18 Est.) 93 Points, grapelive

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