2019 Suavia Soave Garganega Monte Carbonare Italy White

2019 Suavia Soave Garganega Monte Carbonare

96 JS

Featured Review

Incredible melange of fruit on the nose here. Fresh pear, melon, peach and more exotic notes of papaya and even banana. Add to that aromas of dried flowers and river stones. Medium-to full-bodied and layered with lip-smackingly fresh, exotic fruit up front and a dense bed of sweeter fruit and mineral underneath. The intensity doesn’t let off for minutes. Best decanted. Drink or hold. James Suckling

James Suckling | 96 JS

The 2019 Soave Classico Monte Carbonare pulls you close with a nuanced mix of spring flowers, ginger and crushed green apple. It soothes the palate through silky textures and a pleasant inner sweetness, with ripe pit fruits and hints of melon motivated by brisk acidity. Nothing is out of place in this elegant and jovial Soave, as it tapers off lightly structured and buzzes with residual tension. While highly enjoyable today, the Monte Carbonare will excel through medium-term cellaring.

Vinous Media | 92 VM

An aromatic white that offers notes of steeped raspberry, cherry blossom and Mandarin orange peel backed by well-cut acidity. Sleek and light- to medium-bodied, this is a distinctive version, with a lasting finish of spice and mineral accents. Drink now through 2025. 3,500 cases made, 1,500 cases imported.

Wine Spectator | 90 WS

Type of Wine	Italy White
Varietal	Garganega : The world is filled with treasures that all too often go undiscovered, explored or appreciated. Such could be said of Garganega; a little wine grape with big potential. The grape’s key wine style, Soave, has earned worldwide fame, though there has been very little if any recognition for the grape itself. Despite being virtually unheard of outside of Veneto, this beautiful, white grape has become one of the most widely planted varieties in Italy. Its contribution to Italian viticulture has been tremendous; helping to place Italian white wines on the map. Not only is Garganega one of the country’s most widely planted varieties, it is also one of the oldest. Northern Italians have been praising Soave wines since the 6th Century, when Cassiodorus (a statesman to King Theodoric the Great) described them as being “white and pure as a lily.” The true origin of Garganega remains unknown, though it likely originated in northeastern Italy (Veneto). It is the forefather of numerous other varieties, including Veneto’s own rarity Dorona di Venezia. Garganega has not only influenced winemaking in northeastern Italy but also in Sicily, where the variety is called Grecanico Dorato. DNA fingerprint testing has confirmed it to be an identical genetic match. Though the world may be unfamiliar with this little grape, it is held in high regard in its northern homeland of Veneto, both in the vineyard and the winery. Localized prestige is most obvious in Soaves’s Classico zone, where the vineyards are almost entirely devoted to this single variety. This is the heartland of quality Soave winemaking, where traditions are strongest and where almost all the finest wines are made. Very few producers in Soave, blend their Garganega with other varieties, opting instead to making 100% Garganega styled wines, even though the DOC (Designation of Controlled Origin) laws permit the inclusion of up to 30 % of other varietals, including Trebbiano di Soave (Verdicchio) and Chardonnay. Garganega is used in various other DOC wines from Veneto, most notably Bianco di Custoza, but also Arcole Colli Berici, Monti Lessini, Gambellara and Vicenza. It can also be found in neighboring Friuli in Lombardy. Soave wines produced from 100% Gargagena are known for their dry white wines described as having aromas of peach blossom, almond, apricot and baked golden apples, backed by flavors of peach, honeydew, citrus zest and subtle notes of salinity. Garganega has also shown the clear ability to produce sweet wines, particularly luscious nectar-like wines made from dried, late-harvested grapes. Both Soave and Gambellara DOC’s produce such wines. However, the prime location for Garganega remains the Soave district of Veneto. The terroir of the Soave Classico area is comprised mostly of volcanic, calcareous, alluvial and basaltic soils left behind from the Eocene period. The moderately vigorous vines of Garganega thrive in these soils, which lend an additional aromatic intensity with elegant notes of minerality. The climate is also quite suited for the varietal as it is classified as warm and temperate. It sees mild winters and hot summers with plenty of rainfall. Because summers tend to be quite hot, moderate sunshine benefits the small, oval-shaped, pure-white berries, allowing them to ripen properly, without additional canopy needs during the growing season. Given the climate, growers appreciate the variety’s generous yields, moderate acidity, and the loose-knit bunches in which the berries grow. This is an extremely beneficial quality as it increases ventilation and reduces the risk of fungal disease. This latter quality is also an advantage when it comes to drying the grapes for the production of sweet recioto wines or late harvested. Six hundred miles south of Veneto and the Soave DOC, rests Garganega’s southern home. Here the varietal is called Grecanico Dorato. The varietal spans nearly 4,000 hectares island wide, and is permitted in numerous growing locations under the Sicilia DOC. The climate is Mediterranean; dry and warm, featuring regular sunshine and moderate rainfall that suits wine production quite well. Arid conditions reduce the chance of rot and mildew especially in areas kissed by the coastal breeze. The island wide Sicilia DOC is generally mountainous, making the multitude of elevations and soils developing into many different micro-climates unique. Garganega lays claim to 11,000 hectares (27,000 acres) in the winegrowing appellations of Veneto and Sicily. It also lays claim to being one of the most important white grape varieties in the country. This is an incredible feat for a grape that is mostly unknown outside of Veneto and Sicily.
Country	Italy : Italy is renowned as one of the world’s greatest gastronomic havens; from certified Prosciutto di Parma to the sea-side seafood eateries on the island of Sicily. However, this epicurean experience could not possibly be as hedonistic without the ethereal combination of the country’s plethora of fine wines. It seems unfair that a nation should be able to boast, both, some of the world’s greatest cuisine as well as its greatest wines. Italian wine is one of the most sought after in the world, and has become the second most produced in the world, behind only France. Stretching an impressive 736 miles from northern Italy to the peninsula’s southern tip, the country’s geography generates an enormous array of topography, climate and soil structure. This is an extremely important quality of its winegrowing and making industry which lays claim to nearly 550 different grape varietals, which all desire their own necessities, in terms of terroir and climate. The still red wines of Italy truly characterize the nation’s vast and expansive terroir; Nebbiolo dominates Piedmont, where Barolo and Barbaresco reign king and queen of the region’s production. Hailing from Brunello di Montalcino in Tuscany, the rockstar Sangiovese grape has become synonymous with greatness. Vin Santo sweet wines have taken on a mighty feat of competing with the glorious wines of Sauternes, and of course, Prosecco. Prosecco, located in Trieste (northeast Italy) and its creation of luxuriously effervescent styles of wine has become Italy’s answer to Champagne. The Glera grape variety, which has become synonymous with the name Prosecco, is the main ingredient and is beloved in the appellation where the village of Prosecco’s name has become world renowned. The blurred boundary between Italy and the countries of Slovenia and Austria, where German influence still resonates through Friuli wines. The prevalence of Riesling and other such grape varietals is high in this region and have become extremely popular on today’s market. With nearly 702,000 hectares of grapevines covering the massive and diverse landscape, Italy’s annual average of 48.3 million hectoliters of wine production is second only to France in terms of volume and Spain in terms of hectares of vines. The country is vast and overwhelming when it comes to the culinary arts, but perhaps even this is overshadowed by its production of some of the world’s most sought after wines, whether the omnipresent Chianti to the highly collectible and sought after Amarone della Valpolicalla.
Region	Veneto : Venice is one of the most romantic cities in the world - the city of love. So how could Veneto wines be any different? This north-eastern Italian region has to offer nothing but sweet, liquid romance poured into elegant bottles ready for your dinner table. With its importance growing more and more every day, Veneto has proven its capacity by producing the same amount of wine, if not more, as some more popular regions, such as Tuscany or Piedmont. It may have been considered small in the past, but no one can deny the quality of Veneto wines today. Veneto's reds are easily recognized for their sweet, but intense fruity flavors that together create an impressive scope of Corvina-based wines. Other typical varieties are Rondinella and Molinara, and they're all well-known for the palate rich with red fruits, above all sour cherry. On the other hand, there's a breathtaking portfolio of refreshing, lemon-flavored dry whites, mostly based on Garganega and Trebbiano varieties. All these wines are outstandingly complex and long-lasting, thanks to the wonderful Garganega grapes.
Subregion	Soave