Pieropan Soave Classico Calvarino

In the glass

Aroma: white peach, almond, citrus blossom, fennel herb, mineral chalk, white flower

Palate: lemon zest, almond paste, saline mineral, white peach, fennel, crushed chalk

Calvarino is Pieropan's basalt and limestone single-vineyard Soave, planted in 1924 to Garganega and Trebbiano di Soave; the volcanic basalt soils give a crackling acidity and mineral depth far beyond the appellation average, with exceptional ageing potential.

What it pairs with

• Branzino in acqua pazza
  Sea bass poached in white wine and tomato water is the benchmark dish for mineral Soave.
• Seafood pasta with clams and bottarga
  The wine's racy acidity and saline minerality amplify the iodine-sea-salt notes of bottarga.
• Asparagus di Bassano with poached egg
  The Classico zone's own vegetable crop pairs perfectly with this mineral white; egg adds richness.

History

Calvarino was the first single-vineyard Soave bottled by Pieropan, in 1971, establishing the concept that Soave hill sites could produce characterful terroir-driven wines. The plot was planted by Leonildo Pieropan on a basalt-over-limestone slope; the 1924 vines still contribute to the blend.

1. 1924 — Calvarino vineyard originally planted with Garganega and Trebbiano di Soave
2. 1971 — First Calvarino single-vineyard Soave Classico release; the first cru Soave in the modern era

Facts

Producer

Pieropan

Grapes

Garganega (70%), Trebbiano di Soave (30%)

Classification

Soave Classico DOC

Oak

Stainless steel fermentation; brief ageing on fine lees in stainless steel

ABV

13.0%

Price

€28-42 at retail

Drinking window

3-12 from vintage

First vintage

1971

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