(2024) Founded 1938, the Franzosi family originally produced a limited quantity of wine and olive oil from six hectares of land. Today, their vineyard covers 25 hectares, plus an additional 15 hectares which they manage. Fermentation is in stainless steel followed by ageing in bottle. There's a softening almond and oatmeal nuance to the fresh sliced apple and more peachy fruit here. Clean, well-balanced palate, the acidity braces and extends into a long, pleasing finish that is dry and food-friendly.
(2024) Farmed by four generations, hillside vineyards begin just ten kilometres from Lake Garda. Soft pressing followed by light maceration on the skins and six months in steel barrels. Moderately deep straw/lemon colour, and a sense of mealiness with a hint of almond to the fruitiness. Quite an exotic character to this, both aromas and then fruit on the palate flirting with lychee and mango, copious ripeness and a little phenolic edge adding to the acidity too.
(2022) Founded in 2003, I Stefanini has quickly built a reputation for quality, this 100% Garganega wine being one of three I Stefani Soaves stocked by Dudley Jones. Surprisingly deep buttercup colour with a flash of emerald, the nose has chamomile and spring flowers, a touch of nuttiness and lemon. In the mouth a delightfully zippy and refreshing wine, very good mouthfeel with a slippery texture and fruit moving from apricot and light honey into a zesty but rich finish. A terrific Soave this, with bags of character. Watch the video for more information and food-matching ideas.
(2019) A small proportion of Verduzzo in this blend was fermented in 600-litre French oak and that nutty creaminess comes through, with more subdued pear and a gentle grassy background. The palate has weight and structure, fine fruit sweetness and rich texture, but really fresh acidity that powers the finish.
(2017) This is the first still wine I have tasted from Prosecco producer Sentio, and you know it is a rather good one: it's a northern Italian Pinot Grigio with a bit of weigh and substance, the clear juicy pear aroma (not pear drops, but succulent fruit) leads on to quite a full palate, a bit of lime, and the merest hint of sweetness is from ripe fruit, not sugar, and is soon swept up in matching acidity to leave it dry, moreish and very easy to drink.
(2016) From the Italian lakes comes this crisp and aromatic white, made from the local Turbiana grape. Fresh as a daisy, this is in many ways a subtle wine, yet it is also a decisive one. The nose has pretty floral and ripe, crisp apple notes, a hint of something like waxy lime or lemon rind. Is there a hint of creaminess from some barrel component? On the palate it strikes with real fruit sweetness, an intense, almost tangerine-like blend of fruit and acidity, intense and turning a touch saline to leave a mouth-watering finish despite the abundant fruity charms. Watch the video for more information and food-matching ideas.
(2012) Guerrieri Rizzardi's Soave blends a little Chardonnay with the local Garganega and Trebbiano varieties, coming from hilly, volcanic soils in the Soave district. It has an appealing nose, the Chardonnay adding a layer of creamy, more obviously tropical fruit to the nose, hinting at pineapple and tarte tatin. On the palate this is fairly full, with a nice creamy texture, the much more classical and crisp apple and citrus tones coming through strongly. There's good acidity, and although this has only 12.5% alcohol, it is dry, concentrated and powerful.
