The colour is medium gold. On the nose almonds, dried apricot, candied lime-peel and saffron. In the mouth sweet with a balancing acidity. For the kind of wine, the aftertaste is rather short.
Le Colombare is made with 100% Garganega grapes by Pieropan winery in Soave, one of the only two municipalities that constitute the “Classico” sub-zone of the Recioto di Soave DOCG (the other is Monteforte d’Alpone).
Recioto di Soave DOCG is a sweet wine obtained from the “appassimento” of Garganega (min. 70%) and Trebbiano di Soave grapes (max. 30%, of which max. 5% can be replaced by non-aromatic white berry grapes, suitable for cultivation in the province of Verona).
Recioto is named after “recie” (the ears in Veneto dialect), the typical wing of the Garganega grape cluster, which traditionally were used to hang the grapes for withering.
Already at the time of the ancient Romans the area was famous for the production of white Acinatic wines (passiti).
For this 500ml bottle I paid 30.50 EUR when I visited the fashionable but soulless newly constructed Pieropan’s winery in Soave (they charged me 4 EUR to taste it as well).
Country: Italy
Region: Veneto
Grapes: Garganega
Type: Sweet
Vintage: 2020
Producer: Pieropan
Price range: Premium (30-50 US$)
Pascal’s Enjoyment Index: 3/5