Pieropan | Veneto

The Pieropan estate covers 58 hectares of vineyard which are situated on the stony hills of Soave Classico. The Pieropan family has been producing wines in Soave since the 1890s. Indeed, they were the first producer to bottle a wine with the name Soave on the label in the early 1930s. Nino Pieropan took over from his father in 1970 and was the first producer in Soave to make a single-vineyard wine, 'Calvarino', in 1971. Nino's two sons, Andrea and Dario, took over the running of the estate in 2017 when Nino fell ill and before he passed away in April 2018. From the 2015 vintage onwards, all Pieropan wines are organically certified.

The Soave Classico has the richness and zest that makes this such an attractive wine. It is scented and beautifully defined, with hints of honeysuckle and almond on the finish. Pieropan is most famous for their two single-vineyard wines: 'Calvarino', owned by the family since 1901, is on the classic volcanic basalt of Soave Classico; while 'La Rocca' is situated on the only limestone outcrop in the zone. The former is unoaked and mineral and reminiscent of good Chablis, while the latter, fermented in 500 litre barrels, is rich and opulent. 'La Rocca' has won seven gold medals at the International Wine Challenge over the years. Such consistency is rare, but it is what we would expect from Pieropan.

While they are known for their whites, the Pieropan family is now making some of the best Valpolicella and Amarone from their 16 hectare property in the Val d'Illasi (to the west of Soave Classico) which they bought in 1999.

PIEROPAN