95pts James Suckling
Red volcanic ferrous soils with ample black basalt strewn amidst. Suits the later ripening Garganega, while screw cap promotes the freshness sought at this address. 6 ha. 60-70 year vines on a cooler site, rising to the creme of top quality sites as the climate warms. A richer wine than the younger Classico, but without the same sassy vitality. While the Classico is an unbeatable everyday wine, this is a complex wine demanding food and a little more contemplation. Mirabelle, apricot pith, a whiff of dried mango and plenty of smoky, pungent mineral grip, with dutiful freshness towing tenacious length.
93pts Decanter
Elegant and characterful Soave Classico, hailing from the prized Monte Carbonare ‘cru’, known for its distinct basalt soils. And this wine has a volcanic soul, with smoky nuances to the filigree lemon, apple and almond flavours. There's a pleasant width to the mid-palate. Enjoy with seafood risotto, truffle-based dishes or medium-hard cheeses. Great ageing potential.
90pts Wine Enthusiast
Ripe apples and pressed yellow flowers define the nose of this fresh white wine. As the wine opens, hints of honey and peach develop in the glass. The wine’s palate is defined by its texture. The wine fills the mouth but the vibrant acidity keeps the wine in check ensuring that it does not become too rich, finishing with flavors of roasted apricot, bitter almond and gravel.
Winemaker's Notes
Straw yellow with considerable intensity and brilliant highlights. This wine is creamy and elegant. It is characterized by freshness and aromas of citrus, herbs, and mineral. On the palate the wine is well-balanced and refreshing with a dry and persistent finish.
Best served with delicate fish-based dishes, truffle or mushroom risottos, and medium-flavored cheeses as well as a variety of vegetarian dishes.
History
It probably would never occur to the Tessari Family to concentrate on anything other than Soave and its two native white grapes-Garganega and Trebbiano di Soave. The name Suavia harkens back to the pre-modern day references to Soave. (The Svevia-later Suavia-were a Germanic tribe that settled in this part of northeastern Italy after the fall of the western Roman Empire.) Vineyards have been in the Tessari hands since the late 1800's, but it wasnt until the early 1980's that the family redefined what growing quality grapes could be-tying clonal selection to site-specific areas, lowering Garganega's prodigious yields, and making the wines in tune with the terroir. Rigorous clonal research into the two white varieties has resulted in mono-varietal examples of each, both grown on pure extrusive basaltic ( black volcanic) soil; Monte Carbonare (Garganega) and Massifitti (Trebbiano di Soave). The vineyards of Suavia are located in the center of Soave's Classico zone. This the traditional, hillside terroir that has produced Garganega and Trebbiano di Soave for centuries. Elevations of roughly 1,000 feet and ancient, volcanic soils yield wines of structure and character. Garganega from this area is known to generate some of Italy's most exciting white wines. In youth, the wines have pure aromatic focus of ripe fruit, hay, a flicker of florality and a minerality veering toward whetstone sensibilities. As Garganega ages, these traits transform into wines where delicacy and complexity take center stage. The tale of Trebbiano di Soave is historically linked to the Veneto and genetically bound to the older variety Turbiana, grown around Lake Garda. Trebbiano di Soave offers significant acidity and sapidity, epecially when partnered with Garganega. Without exception, Suavia is one of the leaders in quality and terroir expression in this small, hilly zone to the east of Lake Garda. Although the family has been growing grapes in the hills of Soave Classico since the 1800's, it was only as recently as 1982 that the Giovanni and Rosetta Tessari began crushing grapes and producing their own wine. The couple built a modern and efficient winery in 1990 underneath the building that has been the Tessari family home since 1887. This facility was designed specifically for the production of white wine with the most advanced technology available. Now run by Giovanni and Rosetta's daughters, Meri, Valentina, and Alessandra, Suavia's focus is on using their state-of-the art facility to express the nuances of their native terroir through the lense of only those two grapes native to the zone; Garganega and Trebbiano di Soave.
