Tastings of great satisfaction this year in Veneto, certainly determined by a series of excellent vintages such as 2021 and 2022, which, despite being diametrically opposed, have given rise to wines with refined aromas and great tension and agility in taste dynamics in the first case, and intensely fruity, approachable, and immediate wines in the second.
Here are Soave wines with clear typical aromatic expression and a fine, slender taste profile, and Custoza where the richness of the ampelographic platform allows very different interpretations, but always brings out the strength of the morainic hills of Lake Garda.
On the red wine front, the time span widens significantly, exploring Bardolino and Valpolicella for the most recent vintages before starting a backward journey through the years for the Bordeaux varieties from the eastern provinces, culminating with the 2013 Amarone. Here too, a new awareness emerges, with authentic wines where the technique enhances the connection with the territory and does not follow a winning model, with appassimento (drying of grapes) linked to Amarone and almost disappeared from the most interesting Valpolicella Superiore.
The territory plays a leading role even with international grape varieties, with Bordeaux varieties from Colli Euganei and Berici contrasting with those from the Treviso province, the former being richer and sunnier, and the latter focused more on elegance and tension.
Tre Bicchieri 2024. The best Cabernet wines from Veneto
It is precisely on the two Cabernets awarded in the Gambero Rosso Vini d'Italia 2024 guide that we focus here. One is from Colli Berici, the Bradisismo '20 by Inama, which gradually unfolds on the nose to reveal a solid and vibrant body. The other is from Colli Euganei, the Borgo delle Casette Ris. 2019 of Il Filò delle Vigne, a Cabernet Sauvignon with a balance of Merlot and Carmenère, with deep aromas and a solid palate, dense in tannins, and of great solidity.
"For me, making olive oil is an act of pure selfishness." The story of the small olive press that has made Cilento great
The best gelaterias in Venice chosen by Gambero Rosso
The small Japanese restaurant on the outskirts of Rome, perennially sold out
"Enough with copying Champagne. Italy should work on its own identity." Unfiltered interview with Cyril Brun, new winemaker at Ferrari
"Do you like cold red wine? Nobody will judge you, but be careful about the type
