BEST BUY
Crisp and savory, this refreshing white has lovely aromas of white stone fruit and wildflowers. Showing classic varietal flavors, the tangy palate doles out ripe pear, apple and citrus before a white-almond finish.
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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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91
JUNE 2020
Inama “Vin Soave” Soave DOC Classico 2018
BEST BUY Crisp and savory, this refreshing white has lovely aromas of white stone fruit and wildflowers. Showing classic varietal flavors, the tangy palate doles out ripe pear, apple and citrus before a white-almond finish. 92
MAY 2023
Inama "Carbonare" Soave DOC Classico 2021
All tank fermented. A straight-shooting, mid-weighted force of mineral, quince paste, almond husk and Meyer lemon. Reductive in the best sense, with a jitter of bright acidity and the sort of latent power suggesting that this will age very well indeed. Drink or hold. 92
JULY 2021
Inama “Vin Soave” Soave DOC Classico 2020
A lavish bouquet of Provencal herbs greets your nose. It really is like walking around a street market in Nice. Other nuances are apple and mineral-based. Medium-to full-bodied with intense balance of perfumed, saline minerals and persistent fruit that gives a tasty finish. The interest never flags here. Drink now. 94
OCTOBER 2023
Inama "Carbonare" Soave DOC Classico 2021
Grown via the historic pergola method this unique vineyard produces a Soave with aromas of fleshy yellow peach, jasmine, white tea and crushed stones. The palate is structured and built to age with flavors of tart green apple, citrus and a mineral edge on the finish. Drink now-2035. 93
AUGUST 2022
Inama “Carmenère Più” Veneto Rosso IGT 2019
Very focused and tangy nose with lots of white pepper and peppercorn that jump out first, followed by dried herbs, bark and red berries. Really elegant on the medium-bodied palate, with fine, silky tannins. Very different from Chilean counterparts, more akin to a fine Chinese cabernet gernischt, which is carmenere. Delicious now, but will hold, too. 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. 91
DECEMBER 2021
Inama “Bradisismo” Colli Berici Cabernet DOC 2017
This wine is celebrating its 20th anniversary, and a little ribbon on the front label reminds us of this fact. The Inama 2017 Colli Berici Cabernet Bradisismo is Cabernet Sauvignon with a smaller element of Carmenère. This is a spicy wine with black fruit aromas of blackberry and dried Morello cherry. There are plenty of savory notes at the back, with crushed black pepper, tar, smoke and licorice appearing in big doses. This is a mid to full-bodied red to pair with marinated meat. 90
APRIL 2022
Inama “Vin Soave” Soave DOC Classico 2021
The 2021 Vin Soave isn’t bottled yet, but it is already firing on all cylinders. It’s amazingly floral and very pretty, yet understated with gingery spice, yellow flowers and a spritz of lime. This is silky and round with masses of saline-minerals, orangey fruits and unexpected depths. The finish is long and perfumed, leaning a bit toward the tropical spectrum. The 2021 totally punches above its price point |