Soave: Revisiting an old acquaintance

Soave is “a white wine, right?” asked Eric Asimov in The New York Times. Italian? Check. A “crisp, cold, characterless quaffing wine for knocking back, not for savoring?” Maybe not. Soave once was virtually a synonym for boring white wines. But the winemakers of Soave territory, in the northeastern Veneto region now emphasize quality over quantity.

The reinvented Soave is a blend containing more of the Garganega grape and less of the “dull Trebbiano Toscano.” Our tasting panel turned out to be sharply divided over the 25 Soaves sampled. We found some common ground, however, and these wines were our three favorites:

Monte Tondo Soave Classico 2006 ($12)

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The best value. “Light, lovely, and threaded through with flavors of minerals, nuts, lemon, and flowers.”

Suavia Soave Classico Monte Carbonare 2005 ($24)

An intense, nicely textured wine.

Pieropan Soave Classico 2004 ($26)

“Honeyed and complex.”