2021 Pieropan „Calvarino“ Soave Classico
One of my favorite non-Riesling/non-Burgundy white wine.
Here we have the 50th anniversary vintage of the Soave „Calvarino“. The first single vineyard white wine of Italy. It is a blend of 70% Garganega and 30%Trebbiano di Soave and fermented in cement. Soil is tuffeau and basalt.
First, this Soave needs a lot of air. Either decant it or drink it over 3-4 days. Once I forgot a few bottles in the cellar and it turned out it was perfect to drink after 4-5 years. Perfect food-wine and it will please everybody, from the wine-freak to the people who spend 3-5€ for wine in the supermarket or those who are label-drinker. Every Sommelier should have this wine in the cellar.
You have fruit, minerality, spice, tension and depth&length. AND most importantly huge drinking pleasure. Not to love this wine is impossible, trust me. Just for the record, the 2021 got 94/100 by Decanter and J. Suckling.
Availabe for 17,90€ in Germany. Truely a terrific price-quality relation. 
7 Likes
Nice. Big fan of these wines. Didn’t realize we had a 50th Ann coming out. Will check out. To your point, one of the great value white wines in the world.
4 Likes
Big Pieropan fanboy here. Thanks for the post. I typically prefer the La Rocca to Calvarino, but buy both, along with the plain classico (just opened a '20 last night).
Haven’t tried this yet, but will put it on my shortlist.
Incredible value wines that are food friendly and become very interesting with bottle age.
3 Likes
Yup, all Pieropan is killer. (For me, a bonus: it recalls Venice where I first drank some off a list.) Thanks for posting, Martin!
1 Like
Love these wines as well. Looks like prices are much better in EU.
2 Likes
P.S.
Frank Sinatra drank only (!) Soave.
Me too ; at Osteria da Fiore.
Just had a bottle of 2020 la Rocco on the Pierluigi list innRome. (I would have ordered the Calvarino if they had it).
2 Likes
Haven’t had the 21 yet, but have drunk many bottles of earlier vintages 
1 Like
„ Recently had the Calvarino 2016 and the La Rocca 2015 over the same weekend and the Calvarino was as fresh as a daisy and much more enjoyable. The La Rocca could do with a few more years for its oak and richness to come together.“
David Thompson
Here some impressions from the cellar at the estate Pieropan:
© Tom Henton
© Tom Henton
5 Likes
Great wine, I actually slightly prefer this bottle over their more expensive option. The flavor feels more rich in this. The higher end option is nice and you can tell is more focused, but I prefer this one.
Its a much purer expression that isn’t obscured by oak.
This. But in some vintages, it’s not obscured by oak but elevated by it. I used to buy both.
Obscured may be too strong…blurred, perhaps as it always seems to come back into focus, question is how long on its side.
1 Like
The base Pieropan Soave is worth trying then? We have a super limited selection of Soave at local shops, but my favorite does have the base Soave from them.
The Classico? I think so. Not at the same level as the other two, but 1/2 to 2/3rds the cost and still ages well. I had the last glass of the '20 I opened 3 days ago, last night. Still fresh as a daisy.
1 Like
Yes, definitely–tt’s delicious. As others have said, the La Rocca takes more time and I am not sure that I’ve had the Calvarino–certainly not for a while. But the base is a great quaff imho, ymmv of course.
1 Like
According to several British wine-lovers, the basic Soave is good too. And according to my german wine-dealer the 2022 cost 11€ and received 91/100 by VINOUS.
I tasted the basic version a looong time ago, so I have no memory.
1 Like
Regarding the aging potential of the Calvarino. Here a comment by Mark Priestley yesterday:
„On a visit to the winery back in 2007 we were kindly offered some older bottles of the Calvarino to taste (1978, 1988 and 1998) ; all were absolutely splendid and full of vibrancy.“
1 Like
