Wine of the Month - November 2016

Having a few minutes to kill before dinner I decided to pop by Praelum Wine Bistro for a drink and to see what goodies they had on tap. As usual, General Manager Gerald Lu pulled out an interesting bottle from the cellar, an Italian wine hailing from the Soave zone. Made by one of the oldest families in Soave, this is their top white made from 100% Garganega (other permitted varieties include Chardonnay and Verdicchio). A lot of Soave is bland and uninteresting but I could happily polish off a bottle of this.

Wine: Pieropan "La Rocca" Soave Classico 2013

Tasting note: The vineyard is planted on chalky-clay soils as opposed to the volcanic basalt that is more common in the region, which is supposed to result in a wine with more finesse and floral notes. There is a short maceration with skin contact, and the wine is aged for about a year in barrels between 500 and 2000 litres capacity. Pale gold appearance. Dry and expressive, with notes of nutty almond, white peach and orange peel. Medium body and alcohol with great poise and vibrancy.