2020 Sandro De Bruno, Soave DOC, Colli Scaligeri, Veneto, Italy.
The upper end cru bottling, this straw/gold hued and textural Colli Scaligeri Soave, from Sandro De Bruno is a beautiful and substantial white that carries itself with the class of a Premier Cru White Burgundy showing of a bit of reduction, leesy mouth feel and mineral charm, making for a very stylish effort. The medium to full bodied palate rotates between lemony citrus, apple and fleshy apricot fruits, along with background notes of almond paste, herbs, clove, wet rock, orange blossom and muskmelon. As it opens up, it adds a touch of earth, tropical essences, very subtle waxy/oily notes and a round opulence, but it stays lively and has just the right amount of tension, this is an excellent wine, especially with sea foods, lighter dishes and creamy farm cheeses. The third generation Sandro De Bruno Winery, all new to me, based in the volcanic Lessini Mountains, between Montecchia di Crosara and Terrossa di Roncà, is run by Tasoniero Sandro and his wife Ferraretto Marina, with this label being founded in 2002. The Sandro De Bruno winery employs sustainable agricultural techniques and with an eye on the protection of the natural environment and create healthy soils.
The Sandro de Bruno Soave DOC Colli Scaligeri is 100% Garganega from 35 year old south-facing vineyards at between 150-300 Meters above sea level on mineral rich and salty volcanic soils, which gives this Cru wine its personality and terroir distinction. Thanks to the volcanic soils that host the vineyards, the winery says that grapes, from vines in the Roncà and Montecchia di Crosara zones, transmit very pleasant mineral and savory notes, which alternate with fruity-tropical scents, intense flowers and aromatic herbs. The Garganega grapes were all de-stemmed and saw a cold skin maceration in a closed press for 12/18 hours and got a gentle soft pressing at low temperatures. The winery explains that the pure free-run juice gets settled for a short period before the fermentation. After the stainless steel fermentation, with what the winery calls the noble lees preserved for close to 18 months, with a weekly bâtonnage, (stirring) which adds to the gravitas in this expressive example of Soave. Sandro says his mission is to create wines capable of preserving local tradition and expressing the identity of the territory, as he strongly believes in respect for nature, time and tradition. I will certainly start following this label and while quite rare in the states, I recommend searching the Sandro De Bruno wines out.
($35 Est.) 94 Points, grapelive