This is Soave at its best — a great example of one of Italy’s most famous wines and one of its best-known whites.
Soave comes from the Veneto region in Italy’s northeast and, along with the red Valpolicella, has been familiar to wine drinkers in this country for generations — all but ubiquitous on countless Italian-American restaurant wine lists.
While oceans of it are churned out, and much of it mass produced and ordinary, wines labeled “Soave Classico” are generally a significant cut above. They come from the original Soave production zone — from superior hillside vineyards in volcanic soils with lower yields — making the wines more distinct.
Inama’s 2019 “Carbonare” Soave Classico is one of them. Made from 100 percent Garganega grapes — the main variety in Soave — this exquisite, just-released wine is distinguished by its layered complexity and minerality. Aromas and tastes of pear, pink grapefruit, white flowers, almonds, and white pepper carry through on its long finish. Bright acidity gives it a refreshing lift, as does a moderate alcohol content of 12.5 percent.
This is an excellent wine for fish, sushi, and vegetable dishes. Like most white wines, it shouldn’t be drunk too cold — you’ll find that the flavors explode as the wine warms up a bit. It’s from a single vineyard, Carbonare, in the Soave Classico zone and is aged in stainless steel for 12 months with no exposure to oak.
The Inama family has been making wine in Soave Classico for more than half a century and grows its grapes in some of the area’s top vineyard sites. Its $28 Carbonare Soave Classico is a testament to the quality of its terroir and winemaking — and to Soave wines in general, when produced by the right hands.
