2015 Pieropan La Rocca Vini dell'Anima Collection

The Italian winery Pieropan is located in Soave, near Verona in the famous wine region of Veneto.

Leonildo Pieropan is considered the godfather of Soave. The wines are made from the grapes garganega and trebbiano from the hills around the city of Soave. The special cuvée La Rocca, made from late-picked grapes, is brought up on French oak and wins many international prizes. Andrea and Dario continue the work of their father and, in addition to the famous Soave, also make red wines of exceptional quality. After studying regional grape varieties, terroir and microclimate, the company bought vineyards and real estate in Cellore d'Ilasi (Valpolicella and Amarone) in 1999. A beautiful Valpolicella, Ruberpan and a complex and rich Amarone are now made from corvina, corvinone, rondinella and croatina veronese. The old 15th century monastery on the domain, Villa Cipolla, is currently being restored and converted into a luxury agriturismo.

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Soave's recent history of overproduction and disappointing results begins to fade as one reaches the Classico level. These wines are made exclusively in the traditional production areas of Soave, with locations mainly on hills around the village of Soave, and with a significantly smaller production than most regular Soave. A blend of at least 70% Garganega, Soave Classico shows off the spicy acidity, round texture, aromatics and mineral notes of the wine, but with versatility thanks to the diverse, mostly volcanic soils of the hilly region.

Soave Classico has no official classification, but it does have about fifty recognized Cru's, hills that produce the best quality wine. There are many, in fact all the hills of the area, so Cru's status in itself says little. It is only when you see where the best producers have their main vineyards that you get an idea of ​​what the best Cru's are. This certainly includes the central hills such as Frosca, Foscarino, Carbonare, Calvarino and Rugate, but also La Rocca, which is located near Soave. All of these Cru's are directly linked to the area's top producers. For example, Gini's top wine comes from Frosca (Soave Classico La Froscà), Suavia is almost synonymous with Carbonare (Soave Classico Monte Carbonare), Prà stands for Monte Grande and at Ca 'Rugate it speaks for itself (Monte Fiorentine is part of the rather large Cru Rugate). Foscarino is largely owned by Inama (he makes his Soave Classico Vigneti di Foscarino and Soave Classico Vigneto du Lot), but Anselmi also has plots there. Still, Anselmi is best known for its superb Capitel Croce from the Santa Croce Hill, a solidly re-wooded, 100 percent garganega wine, which could and should simply be called Soave Classico. Perhaps the highest rated Soave Classico wines come from Pieropan, from the Cru's Calvarino and La Rocca, once described as the violin and piano of the Soave Classico orchestra. La Rocca is a special vineyard. It is adjacent to Soave, is completely fenced and the clay and limestone soil is more like that of Valpolicella than that of Soave Classico. The very late harvested garganega grapes from these vineyards provide the area's most renowned wine.

The miracle of good Soave Classico arises, as in all other special wine regions, from the ultimate interplay between grape variety and terroir, with a modest but intelligent role for man. And that interplay is very important here, because it is far from self-evident that a warm area like western Veneto produces fresh, aromatic rich and mineral white wine. The dark, porous volcanic soils of Soave Classico heat up quickly, also because water sinks deep into it. The roots of the vine plants must and can root very deeply in search of water, where they absorb many minerals. Garganega ripens late, as said. This has the advantage that the grapes can ripen nicely aromatically, but the disadvantage is that the acidity can be a bit low. But the freshness of Soave Classico comes not so much from the acids, but from the minerality, which can give a subtly salty aftertaste. The aroma is also unique: above all, it is a complex blend of all kinds of floral notes, such as those of acacia, elderberry and almond blossoms, and of wild white wild flowers such as chamomile. The taste can be fruity, candied or slightly sweet, depending on the ripeness and upbringing, often with some almond bitter in the aftertaste in addition to the salty minerality. When everything comes together perfectly, Soave Classico is a wine that can compete with the greatest white wines in the world not only in terms of authenticity, but also in terms of taste balance.

The Veneto, known for its imaginative Venice and Lago di Garda. The varied landscape of the Veneto stretches from the Alps to the Adriatic Sea and includes mountains, hills, lakes, river valleys, plains and coastal areas.

More information about Veneto

In the field of wine production, the Veneto stands for both quantity and quality. With an annual production of about 9 million hectoliters from 75,000 hectares of vineyard, this region is number 1, closely followed by Apulieum; and Sicilium ;.

The quality is expressed in the allocation of the number of classifications: the region has 2 DOCGs and 19 DOCs. However, two thirds of the total wine production falls under the 9 IGTs of the region. This means that in addition to a large number of quality wines, the Veneto is also a major producer and exporter of relatively cheaper and easily drinkable wines. In the region almost all types of wine are represented: young white and red wines, a considerable amount of sparkling wines, solid red wines and finally the passiti, within which the Recioto di Soave even enjoys the status of DOCG.

The most famous wines are undoubtedly the Soave, the Valpolicella and the Bardolino. All three come from the westernmost part of the region, around the city of Verona and Lake Garda. The first is a dry white wine based on the Garganega, in combination with the Trebbiano di Soave. Large quantities of it are produced and exported. As with the Valpolicella and the Bardolino, the quality can be quite different, although there have been significant successes across the board in terms of quality in recent years.

The best dry Soave's are usually found at the winemakers who also score high with the sweet DOCG version of the Soave, the Recioto di Soave. A beautiful golden yellow wine, made from partially dried grapes from the Garganega, supplemented with a maximum of 30% Trebbiano di Soave and / or Chardonnay and / or Pinot blanc. The dry Soave has a slightly bitter aftertaste and is a suitable accompaniment for various fish dishes and seafood.

The Valpolicella, from the area around the village of the same name between Verona and Lake Garda, is a blend of various grape varieties of which the Corvina Veronese and the Rondinella form the main basis. The result, as mentioned, varies in quality, but in general the Valpolicella can be characterized as soft, full and dry, which makes it a good accompaniment to many meat and pasta dishes.

Information about The Amarone della Valpolicella

The Amarone della Valpolicella is a phenomenon in itself: the late harvested grapes are placed on reed mats to dry in the sun, or hung in well-ventilated areas, so that the grapes largely dry out while the sugars are preserved. The grapes are not pressed until January and a sugar- and extract-rich must is produced. The final result is a powerful red wine that can achieve an alcohol content of approximately 15% due to the overall fermentation of the grape sugars. In addition to the high alcohol content, the wine is characterized by an intense bouquet and a full, complex structure with a pleasant bitterness ('amaro'). Fits well with game and hearty meat dishes, as well as with matured cheeses and is very suitable for bottle aging. When the grape sugars are not completely converted into alcohol, this is called a Recioto di Valpolicella: a sweet red dessert wine with an alcohol content of at least 14%.

Information about The Bardolino

The Bardolino, also from the hills around Verona, is also gaining fame. The Bardolino Superiore and the Bardolino Classico Superiore are now even allowed to put DOCG on the label. These are ruby red wines that must have at least 12% alcohol and must have had wood aging for 1 year before being placed on the market. They are dry, slightly bitter, but very delicate wines that can be drunk with various light meat dishes, but also with antipasti based on meat and cheese. In addition to the Bardolino Superiore, people also know the increasingly popular Bardolino Novello and the Bardolino Chiaretto. The latter is partially prepared without grape skins and owes its light cherry-red color. Both should be drunk young and slightly chilled.

The Bianco di Custoza, also from the Verona area, is made from Garganega and Trebbiano Toscano, among others. It is a fresh, slightly spicy white wine that is gaining fame, not only in Italy itself but also beyond.

Another 'given' in the Veneto is the Proscecco, which comes from the northeastern part of the region, around the villages of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, and is made from the grape variety by the same name. Although there are also sweet varieties, most Proseccos are dry and almost always sparkling to a greater extent (in the form of a Spumante) or to a lesser extent (in the form of a Frizzante). The inhabitants of the Veneto like to enjoy this fresh white wine as an aperitif or with various salads and light fish dishes.

Two areas that are gaining popularity in wine production are the Colli Berici, for its creditable wines from international grape varieties, and the Colli Euganei, where ever better red and white wines are produced from native grape varieties. The Gambellara is made in the Vicenza area, east of Verona. A soft dry white wine with a nice bitter aftertaste. Drink as aperitif or as a companion to various fish dishes, salads and light meat dishes.

Finally, we mention the Torcolato: a beautiful velvety golden yellow sweet wine from dried grapes with a rich bouquet and a delicate taste with notes of honey and almond. The Torcolato falls under the DOC Breganze.