Lightly scented, this offers subtle aromas recalling toasted oak, white stone fruit and a whiff of hazelnut. The rounded, structured palate shows vanilla oak, butter scotch and ripe apple alongside hints of coffee bean and bitter almond.
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The walled city of Soave in the Veneto region is the source (and namesake) of one of the great classic Italian white wines. The town dates from Roman times, and so does the winemaking tradition. The Romans were big fans of minerally, floral wines like those of Soave. The Garganega grapes, that for many centuries have produced Soave wines, come mainly from vineyards in the hills that rise behind the town and march northwestward toward the eastern Valpolicella. This area is now known as Soave Classico and is still the source of the best wines of the denomination due to the hills’ volcanic soils.
Leaving Soave through the Porta Aquila—the north gate of the city’s 14th-century walls—a walk of a mile and a quarter (including a climb of about 500 feet) leads to the top of Mount Foscarino, a dormant volcano now covered with grapevines. In the 1960s, Giuseppe Inama began buying up small vineyard plots on this peak in the heart of the Soave Classico zone, and as a result, the Inama winery today owns most of the vineyards on Mount Foscarino. Giuseppe Inama saw the great potential of these old, traditional vineyards at a time when others were more intent on producing larger quantities in the plains for inexpensive exports. His son Stefano, who took over the winemaking duties in 1992, has continued to work tirelessly to realize the potential of these vineyards, working with some of the very best vineyard management consultants in the world to get Inama’s vineyards into the best possible shape.
Near the top of the hill is a large wooden platform with a 270-degree panoramic view to the south and east. To the right at a distance, it is easy to spot the crenellated walls and towers of Soave Castle as it keeps watch over the town. In the foreground are Inama’s tidy vigneti di Foscarino (Foscarino vineyards). And to the left, over the vineyards and across a broad valley, are a set of hills that are the home of Inama’s other project. These hills—the Colli Berici—are composed of iron-rich terra rossa, a soil type that is prized worldwide as being ideal for growing red winegrapes, and indeed this is where Inama gets its red wines.
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LOCATIONWINERY: San Bonifacio, Veneto VINEYARD: Soave (Verona province) and Colli Berici (Vicenza province), Veneto VIEW IN GOOGLE MAPS REGION DETAILS |
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90
NOVEMBER 2021
Inama “Vigneto du Lot” Soave DOC Classico 2018
Lightly scented, this offers subtle aromas recalling toasted oak, white stone fruit and a whiff of hazelnut. The rounded, structured palate shows vanilla oak, butter scotch and ripe apple alongside hints of coffee bean and bitter almond. 93
APRIL 2022
Inama "Carbonare" Soave DOC Classico 2019
The 2019 Soave Classico Carbonare is pretty and understated, yet with a lovely sweetness mixing peach with stone dust and hints of wet slate. This is round yet delicate, with a salty flourish that evolves into tart orchard fruits and spice. A primary concentration saturates long through the structured finale, with a citrus rind intensity that lingers. This is a hugely promising and powerful vintage of Carbonare. 93
MARCH 2023
Inama "Carbonare" Soave DOC Classico 2020
The 2020 Soave Classico Carbonare is savory and finessed, with hints of sage and rosemary giving way to dusty dried florals. This is silky and round on the palate, complicated by saline minerals and tart orchard fruits, all kept in constant motion by stimulating acidity. Young peach and pear notes linger through the tension-filled finale as this finishes with a salty flourish that keeps the taster looking back to the glass for more. 96
JULY 2021
Inama “Foscarino” Soave DOC Classico 2019
The nose is quite reserved, showing some melon, pear and lavender. Then, on the palate, the expansion starts on a base of silky almond cream and builds up slowly and steadily through the long, long finish. Aftertaste of lemon cream. Never ebullient, but medium-bodied, layered and silky, this is quiet refinement flexing its muscles. Total balance. Beautifully done. All in place. Best ever. Enjoy now or hold. 93
FEBRUARY 2024
Inama “Bradisismo” Colli Berici Cabernet DOC 2020
The 2020 Cabernet Bradisismo opens slowly in the glass. It’s darkly alluring, with peppery rose and lavender complementing dried black cherries. Cool-toned and racy in feel, sleek red berry fruits and minerals collect toward the close. This finishes with tension, leaving a spicy sensation and a saturation of primary concentration as fine-grained tannins coat the palate. As of 2020, the Bradisismo has an addition of 10% Cabernet Franc in the blend. This is coming along beautifully. 94
FEBRUARY 2021
Inama "Carbonare" Soave DOC Classico 2018
The 2018 Soave Classico Carbonare is youthfully rich and packed full of character, displaying dried nectarine and peaches before further evolving to show dusty yellow florals with a hint of almond. There are depths of texture to work through, perfectly contrasted by zesty acids, minerals and a notes of sour apple, yet it still maintains a sense of balanced ripeness. This tapers off long and structured, seeming to slowly melt away from the palate, leaving savory spices and a tug of subtle tannin. There’s so much going on here, along with a promise of even more to come through medium-term cellaring. 90
JANUARY 2023
Inama “Carmenère Più” Veneto Rosso IGT 2019
Delivers a waft of cured tobacco on the nose that continues on the palate, accenting concentrated black currant, orange peel, iron and stone notes. Medium- to full-bodied, with fine, crisp tannins emerging to firm the spiced finish. Drink now through 2028. 97
JULY 2023
Inama "I Palchi" Foscarino Grande Cuvée Soave DOC 2021
Wow. This is fantastic with mangoes, lemons, pears and hints of vanilla. Mineral, too. It’s full-bodied with bright fruit and a vivid finish. Lots of minerals. A selection of the best grapes of Inama in the grand cru Foscarino. Much less use of barrels than in the past with large casks and stainless. Superb. Drink or hold. |