Gini Soave Classico 2018
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Enthusiast
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Suckling
James - Decanter
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Golden-hued and medium-bodied, this wine is a superlative expression of Garganega, the indigenous Northern Italian grape varietal used to make Soave Classico. With white blossoms and delicate fruit on the nose – golden apple, pear, a tinge of ripe lemon -- it features stony minerality, bright, refreshing acidity and lingering notes of honey
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Racy and delicious, this refreshing white offers aromas of tropical fruit, spring wild flower and a whiff of dried botanical herb. On the savory palate, vibrant acidity brightens yellow apple, Meyer lemon and tangy saline before closing on a white-almond note. Editors’ Choice.
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James Suckling
An attractive white with abundant aromas of cooked apples and pears, as well as lemons. Medium to full body. Lots of flavor. Dried fruit at the end. Drink now.
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Decanter
Creamy peach, yellow apple and apricot nose. Good flint intensity on the palate; persistent finish.
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Both tradition and the modern are reflected at Gini. The hand-harvested Soave Classicos are 100% Garganega, though many in the zone blend in other varietals to compensate for shortcomings of less-than perfect grapes. Both the Soave Classico and the single-vineyard “La Frosca” (which received 90 pts from Tanzer for the 2006 vintage, and three glasses in the 2008 Gambero Rosso guide) are vinified in stainless steel. The rich, concentrated “Salvarenza”, from a tiny plot of 80-year-old vines within the La Frosca vineyard, is matured in barriques (92 pts Tanzer for the 2005 vintage.) The Re Nobilis is a rare representative of a botrytized style Recioto, northern Italy’s version of a German TBA, while the Recioto Col Foscarin is a delightful desert wine, also great with cheese.
At the estate, “natural agriculture” is carried out - Gini is practicing organic. The vines maintain a low production and adhere to biodynamic standards (pruning occurs in accordance with the moon's phases). Integrated insect and disease control is followed. Insecticides are not used. Copper and sulfur-based products control fungus and manure fertilizes the soil. Spontaneous cover crops (grass cover) are left between the rows of vines, the grass cover is mowed and the turf is left in place (the soil is not tilled). Very low doses of SO2 are added to the wine only after fermentation and before bottling in order to preserve the product.
One of Italy’s classic white varieties, Garganega flourishes in the rolling vineyards surrounding the medieval village of Soave and is the dominant variety in the wine from the region, aptly known as, Soave. By law it makes up 70-100% of the blend with the remainder traditionally finished off by Trebbiano di Soave for its crispness. Somm Secret—The best Soave wines, measurably elegant and vibrant, come from the Soave Classico zone, in the center of Soave, where the hills are made of decomposed volcanic and granitic soils.
Among Italy’s classic whites capable of great potential, Soave is named after the medieval village and surrounding hillsides from whence it comes. The original, historical Soave zone, delimited back in 1927, covers the eastern, volcanic hillsides of today's general Soave zone and is called Soave Classico.
Garganega, the indigenous grape responsible for great Soave, produces medium bodied white wines with fine acidity. Typical in the best Soaves are lively flowery and fresh herbal aromas and flavors such as orange zest, peach, melon and marjoram. The best can take some age and in so doing, develop notes of chamomile, marmalade and honey.
By the 1960s and 70s, Soave was enjoying such a glorious global reputation, that its demand forced growers to push beyond the zone's original borders. Expansion led west out of the hills and onto the alluvial plain of the Adige River. This, coupled with an increase in yields and allowance of additional varieties such as Trebbiano, Chardonnay and Pinot blanc, met demand but created a softer, fruit-forward, everyday Soave. Today the broader region can be the source of charming and value driven whites. But those labeled as Soave Classico or in rare cases, as Soave Colli Scaligeri (nearby hillside vineyards abutting the Classico zone), will be the best quality and age-worthy Soaves. These are often 100% Garganega.