Skip to main content
Bottle and Glass
0
  • Red Wine
    • Argentina
    • Australia
    • Austria
    • Chile
    • France
    • Italy
    • New Zealand
    • South Africa
    • Spain
    • USA
  • White Wine
    • Australia
    • Austria
    • France
    • Germany
    • Italy
    • New Zealand
    • South Africa
  • Rosé Wine
    • Australia
    • France
  • Sparkling Wine
    • Australia
    • France
    • Italy
    • New Zealand
    • Spain
  • Sweet
    • Australia
    • France
    • Germany
    • Italy
    • New Zealand
  • Mixed Cases
  • Gift Vouchers
  • Magnums
  • Super Premium
Bottle and Glass
0
Cart0 Login / Register
  • Red Wine
    • Argentina
    • Australia
    • Austria
    • Chile
    • France
    • Italy
    • New Zealand
    • South Africa
    • Spain
    • USA
  • White Wine
    • Australia
    • Austria
    • France
    • Germany
    • Italy
    • New Zealand
    • South Africa
  • Rosé Wine
    • Australia
    • France
  • Sparkling Wine
    • Australia
    • France
    • Italy
    • New Zealand
    • Spain
  • Sweet
    • Australia
    • France
    • Germany
    • Italy
    • New Zealand
  • Mixed Cases
  • Gift Vouchers
  • Magnums
  • Super Premium
  • Home
  • Our Newsletter
  • Standout Soave

Standout Soave

David   6 June 2019 

Mention volcanic wines and the first things that spring to mind are exciting reds from Mt Etna or tangy whites from Santorini. But it might surprise you to learn that there are several other volcanic regions of note - including Soave.

In November last year, Decanter magazine identified Soave (pronounced Swah-veh) as one of the world’s “top volcanic terroirs” and the region hosted the International Volcanic Wine Forum in 2016. A key speaker at the event was John Szabo, a Canadian master sommelier, wine critic and author of Volcanic Wines: Salt, Grit and Power, which won the André Simon Food and Drink Book Award in 2016. Szabo observes that “volcanic soils are known for preserving unique indigenous grape varieties that offer different flavours than do such ubiquitous international varieties such as Chardonnay and Cabernet,” and “minerality and volcanic wines go hand-in-hand.” Bloomberg, March 2018.

Soave is a dry Italian white wine, it’s also the name of the region in which it’s grown and there’s a medieval village bearing the name Soave. The vineyards of Soave sit within the larger region of Veneto, in Italy’s north east. In 2016 the hillside vineyards of Soave DOC joined Italy’s national heritage list. Veneto stretches from it’s capital, Venice, in the east, to the shores of Lake Garda in the west. In its north east are the Piccol Dolomiti (the little Dolomites), home to Cortina skiing. And as if that’s not enough, this beautiful region is also home to the famous wines of Valpolicella, Amarone, and Prosecco.

Soave became a certified DOC (appellation) in 1968 and the ensuing decades saw its boundaries expand dramatically. Today it is about 10,000 acres, making it one of the largest DOCs in Italy.

Initially this modern Italian wine was introduced to the world as something fresh, light and affordable. But most of the expansion of the region has been on the fertile, alluvial plains surrounding the Adige River, where the emphasis has been on quantity over quality. Soave became a massive wine factory and gained a reputation for wine that was neutral, watery and too homogenous to be taken seriously.

As the New York Times noted. “every era has its default wine, a drink so bland that nobody notices it and so cheap that no one cares. The current defer white is Pinot Grigio… for a few years in the 70s and 80s , the default white was Soave,” August 2012. Ouch. 

Of course good Soave still exists, it’s just hidden beneath Soave's unfashionable reputation. Within the Soave DOC is the subzone of Classico. Defined in 1927 and currently about 2,700 acres, it covers the original and best hillside areas around the towns of Soave and Monteforte d’Alpone, near Verona. It’s within the Classico zone that you’ll find volcanic soils as well as estates committed to producing high quality wines,

Soave is made from a minimum of 70% of the local indigenous white grape Garganega - a vigorous variety that responds well to having its yields restricted and gives best results in the volcanic soils of the Classico area. The remainder may be any combination of Trebbiano di Soave, Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco or Sauvignon Blanc.  

When made well, Soave is one of the great white wines of Italy. I find it sometimes a bit like a ripe Chablis. It has great structure and a steely minerality that’s unlike anything we have here in Australia. 

“True Soave is medium-bodied with fine acidity and a lively flowery aroma of white and yellow fruit, and garden herbs, taking on notes of chamomile and honey with age.” Oxford Companion to Wine. 

"The best examples of Soave, generally from the Classico zone when yields have been restricted to allow the grapes to fully ripen, are characterised by lemon and almond flavours and a fine grainy texture like that of fresh pears. This delicacy combines with fresh acidity to give wines that may be steely and yet still tantalisingly spicy.” Jancis Robinson from her book Wine Grapes.

“But what really sets today’s Soave apart is a scintillating, mineral-toned freshness that barely seems to diminish with bottle age and which gives the wine its remarkable elegance and balance,” Decanter Magazine, May 2017. 

There’s a small bunch of producers bringing Soave back into vogue, one of which is Suavia. 


Suavia Azienda Agricola Soave DOC Monte Carbonare 2017

100% Garganega, fresh, clean and mineraly - this is the hottest Soave in town. It wasn’t easy, but I’m very pleased I got my hands on some.

Suavia is the ancient name for the town of Soave. Just to the north you’ll find the even smaller town of Fittà where the Tessari family has owned vineyards since 1887. It was only in 1982 though that Giovanni Tessari stopped selling his grapes to the local co-operative and started making his own wine. These days the 12ha estate is run by Giovanni’s 3 daughters; Meri, Valenina and Alessandra.

This extraordinary estate sits in the centre of the Classico region, higher than most others, with the 3 sisters devoting their energies solely to the region’s two native white varieties, Garganega and Trebbiano di Soave.

The sisters place great importance on the area’s volcanic basalt soil; “We always say that this wine is like a bit of earth in a glass and it’s true. In the Monte Carbonare vineyard the vines sink their roots deep down into the black earth: pure volcano. This gives the wine personality, forthright and truthful, with a sharp mineral nature. It tastes of rain on flint, on the black stones of the dry walls, and of that good fragrance that countryside releases when dampened by the first rain.”

The vines are around 35 years old and the sisters tend them meticulously without the use of synthetic fertilisers or insecticides. The winery, while modern and efficient, still incorporates non-invasive techniques such as the use of gravity to move wine around. The wine does not see any oak.

Winemaker’s notes:
Colour:
 straw yellow with brilliant highlights.
Nose: it shows yellow flowers, exotic fruit and white peach, with smoky and peaty notes.
Palate: juicy fruit palate accented with mineral, aromatic herbs and almond, alongside crisp acidity. The finish is dry and very persistent.

I’m not sure why, but the estate doesn’t have the wine reviewed by critics until many months after its release, by which time it’s sold out. The previous vintage, 2016, received 91 points from Decanter - a great score for a white wine of this price. It also received the highly coveted Tre Bicchieri (3 glasses) from Italy’s Bible of wine, Gambero Rosso, and recognition with a ‘Grande Vino’ rating in the Annual Slow Wine Guide 2019.

The wine is pale gold and crystal clear. On the nose you’ll find pineapple, white peach, fruit blossom and musk notes imbued with a richer leesiness. On the palate it’s clean, crisp and deliciously dry, with lemon, thyme and musk. A passing nutiness on the back of the palate reveals exquisite honeysuckle and flint on the finish. Why is this a good wine? The delicious combination of flavours are clearly defined without losing subtlety. And I love its masterly balance of fruit and acid.

This wine is on a limited number of cool lists around town including Fred’s, LuMi Dinning and Redfern Continental.

Really delicious - exactly what a great Soave to be. 

I can offer it for $41 a bottle (limited). OUT OF STOCK

Click here to order new vintage

Service

Service

  • My Account
  • Track Order
  • Returns and Refunds

About Us

About Us

  • About Us
  • Our Newsletter
  • Contact Us

Information

Information

  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Shipping
  • Security Policy

Receive our newsletter

Copyright © 2022 Bottle and Glass. All Rights Reserved.
NSW Liquor Licence No. LIQP770010172
ABN: 61 143 856 919
No Alcohol can be sold or supplied to anyone under 18. It’s against the law.
  • MasterCard
  • Visa

Terms & Conditions

Welcome to our website. If you continue to browse and use this website, you are agreeing to comply with and be bound by the following terms and conditions of use, which together with our privacy policy govern Bottle and Glass’s relationship with you in relation to this website. If you disagree with any part of these terms and conditions, please do not use our website.

The term ‘Bottle and Glass’ or ‘us’ or ‘we’ refers to the owner of the website whose registered office is Shop 4, 29 Newland St, Bondi Junction, NSW, 2022. Our ABN is 61 143 856 919. The term ‘you’ refers to the user or viewer of our website.

The use of this website is subject to the following terms of use:

  • The content of the pages of this website is for your general information and use only. It is subject to change without notice.
  • Neither we nor any third parties provide any warranty or guarantee as to the accuracy, timeliness, performance, completeness or suitability of the information and materials found or offered on this website for any particular purpose. You acknowledge that such information and materials may contain inaccuracies or errors and we expressly exclude liability for any such inaccuracies or errors to the fullest extent permitted by law.
  • Your use of any information or materials on this website is entirely at your own risk, for which we shall not be liable. It shall be your own responsibility to ensure that any products, services or information available through this website meet your specific requirements.
  • This website contains material which is owned by or licensed to us. This material includes, but is not limited to, the design, layout, look, appearance and graphics. Reproduction is prohibited other than in accordance with the copyright notice, which forms part of these terms and conditions.
  • All trademarks reproduced in this website, which are not the property of, or licensed to the operator, are acknowledged on the website.
  • Unauthorised use of this website may give rise to a claim for damages and/or be a criminal offence.
  • From time to time, this website may also include links to other websites. These links are provided for your convenience to provide further information. They do not signify that we endorse the website(s). We have no responsibility for the content of the linked website(s).
  • Your use of this website and any dispute arising out of such use of the website is subject to the laws of Australia.

Privacy Policy

This privacy policy sets out how we uses and protects any information that you give us when you use this website.

We are committed to ensuring that your privacy is protected. Should we ask you to provide certain information by which you can be identified when using this website, then you can be assured that it will only be used in accordance with this privacy statement.

We may change this policy from time to time by updating this page. You should check this page from time to time to ensure that you are happy with any changes.

What we collect

We may collect the following information:

  • name and job title
  • contact information including email address
  • demographic information such as postcode, preferences and interests
  • other information relevant to customer surveys and/or offers

What we do with the information we gather

We require this information to understand your needs and provide you with a better service, and in particular for the following reasons:

  • Internal record keeping.
  • We may use the information to improve our products and services.
  • We may periodically send promotional emails about new products, special offers or other information which we think you may find interesting using the email address which you have provided.
  • From time to time, we may also use your information to contact you for market research purposes. We may contact you by email, phone, fax or mail. We may use the information to customise the website according to your interests.

Security

We are committed to ensuring that your information is secure. In order to prevent unauthorised access or disclosure, we have put in place suitable physical, electronic and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure the information we collect online.

How we use cookies

A cookie is a small file which asks permission to be placed on your computer's hard drive. Once you agree, the file is added and the cookie helps analyse web traffic or lets you know when you visit a particular site. Cookies allow web applications to respond to you as an individual. The web application can tailor its operations to your needs, likes and dislikes by gathering and remembering information about your preferences.

We use traffic log cookies to identify which pages are being used. This helps us analyse data about webpage traffic and improve our website in order to tailor it to customer needs. We only use this information for statistical analysis purposes and then the data is removed from the system.
Overall, cookies help us provide you with a better website by enabling us to monitor which pages you find useful and which you do not. A cookie in no way gives us access to your computer or any information about you, other than the data you choose to share with us.
You can choose to accept or decline cookies. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser setting to decline cookies if you prefer. This may prevent you from taking full advantage of the website.

Links to other websites

Our website may contain links to other websites of interest. However, once you have used these links to leave our site, you should note that we do not have any control over that other website. Therefore, we cannot be responsible for the protection and privacy of any information which you provide whilst visiting such sites and such sites are not governed by this privacy statement. You should exercise caution and look at the privacy statement applicable to the website in question.

Controlling your personal information

You may choose to restrict the collection or use of your personal information in the following ways:

  • whenever you are asked to fill in a form on the website, look for the box that you can click to indicate that you do not want the information to be used by anybody for direct marketing purposes
  • if you have previously agreed to us using your personal information for direct marketing purposes, you may change your mind at any time by writing to or emailing us.

We will not sell, distribute or lease your personal information to third parties unless we have your permission or are required by law to do so. We may use your personal information to send you promotional information about third parties which we think you may find interesting if you tell us that you wish this to happen.

If you believe that any information we are holding on you is incorrect or incomplete, please write to or email us as soon as possible at the above address. We will promptly correct any information found to be incorrect.