Category Archives: Decanter

Decanter, Italy - Veneto, Reviews

Pieropan, Calvarino, Soave, Classico, Soave, Veneto, 2015

April 4, 2018 admin

Drinking Window: 2018 – 2023

A blend of Garganaga and Trebbiano di Soave, this delivers more stone fruit and less spice than the regular Soave Classico. Nonetheless, it still has gossamer elegance and invigorating freshness. A substantial wine that cries out for chicken in a creamy sauce.

Decanter, Italy - Veneto, Reviews

I Stefanini, Il Selese, Soave, Veneto, Italy, 2016

April 3, 2018 admin

Drinking Window: 2018 – 2018

From vineyards outside the Classico zone, this shows why consumers should not rely on the official DOC/DOCG categorisation. Less concentrated than I Stefanini’s other Soaves, it nonetheless has an appealing zesty raciness and more character than many Soave Classicos from less-talented producers.

Decanter, Italy - Veneto, Reviews

Bolla, Tufaie, Soave, Classico, Soave, Veneto, Italy, 2016

April 3, 2018 admin

Drinking Window: 2018 – 2023

You’re not likely to find this Bolla Soave on supermarket shelves. Tufaie is proprietary name, not a cru, and reminds customers of the tufa-volcanic soil of Soave Classico. Shining acidity complements its apricot character. It shows how far the entire Soave category has come.

Decanter, Italy - Veneto, Reviews

Prà, Otto, Soave, Classico, Soave, Veneto, Italy, 2016

April 3, 2018 admin

Drinking Window: 2018 – 2020

Otto, which takes its name from a much-missed pet border collie, comprises 80% of Prà’s production. Made entirely from Garganaga, it is clean and bright, delivering subtle stone fruit characters intertwined with mineral-like notes. Tightly wound, it opens beautifully in the glass.

Decanter, Italy - Veneto, Reviews

Inama, Soave, Classico, Soave, Veneto, Italy, 2016

April 3, 2018 admin

Drinking Window: 2018 – 2020

Fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks to capture its fruity essence, this is quintessential Soave Classico. Inama selects grapes from a variety of its vineyards in the Classico zone to produce this fresh and lively wine.

Decanter, Italy - Veneto, Reviews

Pieropan, Soave, Classico, Soave, Veneto, Italy, 2017

April 3, 2018 admin

Drinking Window: 2018 – 2020

Garganega with 15% Trebbiano di Soave, this is floral and lacy yet its persistence belies its delicacy and a hint of white pepper enhances its appeal. A fresh and vibrant wine that would go well with shellfish or other simple seafood.

Decanter, Italy - Veneto, Reviews

Coffele, Castel Cerino, Soave, Classico, Soave, Veneto, 2016

April 3, 2018 admin

Drinking Window: 2018 – 2020

With the 2014 vintage, Coffele’s vineyards were the first in the Classico zone certified organic. This current Castel Cerino bottling, a cru, balances subtle stone fruit and mineral-like flavours. Lively, with a hint of bitterness on the finish adding to its appeal.

Decanter, Italy - Other, Reviews

Ca’Rugate, Monte Fiorentine, Soave, Classico, Soave, 2016

April 3, 2018 admin

Drinking Window: 2018 – 2023

This cru delivers a slightly waxy texture that underpins its stony essence. From dark volcanic soil, it’s a concentrated wine that, like many youthful Soaves from top sites, needs time in the glass for its raciness to show.

Decanter, Italy - Other, Reviews

I Stefanini, Monte di Fice, Soave, Classico, Soave, 2016

April 3, 2018 admin

Drinking Window: 2018 – 2023

Reminiscent of Burgundy, this bottling is vastly different from the Monte de Toni, despite the close proximity of the sites, just 10 metres apart. Denser, but not heavier, it maintains the bright racy character of top Soave.

Decanter, Italy - Veneto, Reviews

Inama, Vigneto du Lot, Soave, Classico, Soave, Veneto, 2016

April 3, 2018 admin

Drinking Window: 2018 – 2023

This bottling comes from a ‘modern’ 2ha trellised vineyard, in contrast to the usual pergola planting traditional to the area. Weightier and more complex, with floral as well as stone fruit notes, it maintains Inama’s signature vivacity, despite coming from a riper vintage.

Decanter, Italy - Veneto, Reviews

Gini, La Froscà, Soave, Classico, Soave, Veneto, Italy, 2014

April 3, 2018 admin

Drinking Window: 2018 – 2023

La Froscà ranks with Calvarino, Monte Grande and a few others as Soave’s grand cru sites. Wines from vineyards of this nature, regardless of country, need time. This 2014, rich with nutty undertones, has started to show development while maintaining the freshness characteristic of the vintage.

Articles, Decanter

Soave revival: Producers to know

April 3, 2018 admin

Northeast Italy’s classic dry white has come on in leaps and bounds in the past few decades. Michael Apstein gets to the heart of this hilly region, highlighting six of his favourite producers and selecting 12 of the best wines to try.… Read more

Articles, Decanter

Decanter Magazine – Understanding Alcohol Units

January 11, 2017 admin

Joyce Jones, Birmingham, asks: Is an alcohol unit the same in the UK as it is in the US or Europe, and what is the difference between a unit of wine and a unit of spirits? Am I better off having a shot of vodka, for example, than a glass of wine?

Articles, Decanter

Decanter Magazine – August 2016

July 8, 2016 admin

“Tuscan white: 20 top Vernaccias,” Decanter Magazine, August 2016. Click the image below to read a pdf of the article.

Articles, Decanter

Decanter January 2016: The science of two alcohol free days per week

January 21, 2016 admin

Is it necessary to have ‘several alcohol free’ days every week and, if so, should those days be consecutive? Dr Michael Apstein, in the rare position of wine writer and liver doctor, gives his view to Decanter. [Read more here]

Articles, Decanter, Wine and Health

Decanter Magazine – February 2016

January 13, 2016 admin

Following a very merry Christmas, are you in the first few days of a self-imposed dry January? With indepth knowledge of both medicine and wine, Dr. Michael Apstein explains how our bodies process alcohol and whether a New year detox really works.… Read more

Articles, Chile, Decanter

Decanter Magazine – Vik: a Bordeaux—Chilean Collaboration (January 2016)

December 16, 2015 admin

Started from scratch less than a decade ago in a remote valley to the south of the Chilean capital, this ultra-modern estate was born of the vision of an entrepreneur from Norway. Michael Apstein charts the development of its singular wine, a blend that brings together Bordeaux know-how with essential Chilean character.… Read more

Articles, Decanter

Decanter Magazine – A Toast to another successful dwwa (August 2014)

September 22, 2014 admin

Articles, Decanter

Dr. Michael Apstein: DWWA 2014 judge

April 15, 2014 admin

Find out more about the world-renowned names that make up the 2014 Decanter World Wine Awards judging line-up in this Q&A series.

Dr. Michael Apstein is an award-winning columnist and wine reviewer for WineReviewOnLine.com and contributes to the wine section of the San Francisco Chronicle.… Read more