Aside from Chianti, there isn’t a more star-crossed Italian wine than Soave. We don’t offer much Soave, because people are either (a) clinging to outdated notions about the region and its wines or (b) taking a “been there, done that” attitude toward it. It’s easy to choose Option B in Italy, given its incredible diversity of native grapes and regional specialties, but today’s single-vineyard beauty from Filippi is like your Mom greeting you at the door, with your favorite meal, after a long journey.
That’s how I felt about it, anyway: It had been quite a while since I last had a Soave, and frankly, my expectations weren’t high, so let’s just say this 2019 knocked me for a loop. While on my own journey of Italian discovery, I had left behind a classic appellation whose wines have gotten progressively more serious and clearly defined. There may still be a lot of mass-produced, simple Soave out there, but then there are ambitious, conscientious producers like Filippo Filippi, who believe that their terroir—an assortment of volcanic hills outside Verona—and their chosen grape variety—Garganega—have the capacity for greatness. In addition to confirming that this ’19 is delicious and full of character, I’m compelled to recite its impressive stat sheet at the outset: Filippi’s vines are old family heirlooms, ranging in age from 40 to 70 years, and his farming is Demeter-certified biodynamic. Elevations are high, often exceeding 300 meters, and the soils are rich in volcanic basalt. In other words, this has all the makings of a world-class white, and it delivers. Man, it’s good to be back—I won’t stray so far next time!
In terms of name recognition, Soave could rightly be described as the Sancerre of Italy: The appellation name has become a powerful “brand” unto itself (which was the intent of appellation names in the first place). But if you were to ask the average wine lover where Soave is, what the key grape varieties are, etc., you might be met with a blank stare. The original, or “classic,” Soave winemaking zone, which was first mapped out in the 1920s, consisted of a small cluster of hills between the towns of Monteforte d’Alpone and Soave, east of Verona. This part of the Veneto region (Verona is about 100 kilometers west of Venice) is dotted with ancient volcanoes, and in the Soave Classico, soils are a mix of mineral-rich basalt rock and clay/limestone. But, as some producers loudly lamented, the Soave “boom” of the ’60s and ’70s prompted some larger producers to advocate for the expansion of the zone into the surrounding plains. An ocean of mass-produced Soave—a lot of its dressed up/stretched with international varieties like Chardonnay—was the result.
Luckily, times have changed. For one thing, the appellation added a new subzone, Soave Colli Scaligeri, which extends north and west of the Classico and isolates other high-altitude, volcanic terroirs in the region. Starting with the 2019 harvest, there are now 33 officially recognized “cru” vineyards in Soave (Menzioni Geografiche Aggiuntive, or MGAs, in Italian). One of them is on the label of today’s wine from Filippi: “Castelcerino.”
The Castelcerino vineyard is perched atop a spent volcano called Monte Calprea, at one of the highest altitudes (300-400 meters) in the entire region. It’s a secluded spot, surrounded by forest, planted exclusively to Garganega, the region’s headliner grape. Although Soave wines may be blends (and often contain not just other local varieties such as Trebbiano di Soave but also international grapes such as Chardonnay), producers in the region are redefining what’s possible with Garganega. Long prized for its productivity, it shows not just great concentration and fruit expression when treated with care but also some exotic aromatics. Its personality, at least in serious examples like today’s, is kind of a Chardonnay-Pinot Blanc-Albariño mashup.
Filippi’s 2019, from 100% biodynamically farmed Garganega from 40- to 70-year-old vines, is fermented on native yeasts in stainless steel, then aged in tank for an extended period on its fine lees. There is some bâtonnage (lees-stirring) during this period, and the wine does undergo malolactic fermentation (the conversion of sharper malic acid into softer lactic acid), but the creaminess imparted by these processes is in precision balance with the wine’s acidity and minerality. There are some Chablis-like qualities here, as it vacillates between tree fruit sensations like apple and pear and more citrusy notes of lemon and white grapefruit. Medium-bodied and nicely textured, it offers up hints of chopped almonds, white flowers, and anise. It’s meant to be consumed young, so pull the cork 15 minutes or so before serving at 45 degrees in all-purpose stems. The first thing I think of when I taste this wine is Venetian food, especially seafood (soft shell crab) and the lightweight rice dish risi e bisi. The attached recipe is one of many that will bring out the best in this beautifully pure white. Get in the kitchen and enjoy!
