The 2007 La Rocca Soave Classico is intense golden yellow in colour, it has perfumes of exotic fruit and almonds. On the palate it is rich, spicy and complex with a remarkably long finish.
Swimming against the tide, the Pieropan family have been flag-bearers for the Soave DOC for several decades, a small speck of quality in an ocean of often less than adequate wines. The family's association with wine stretches back to at least 1890, which is when Leonildo Pieropan established the company..
eRobertParker.com # 185. Oct 2009. Reviewer : Antonio Galloni. The 2007 Soave Classico La Rocca is an impeccable, elegant white laced with delicate perfumed fruit. This mid-weight yet incredibly expressive La Rocca possesses outstanding length and a refined finish. It is another jewel of a wine from Pieropan. Drink: 2009 - 2017.
Published : 17-Aug-2009. Smooth, syrupy, slight oak influence but not terribly exciting, and less successful than the Calvarino.(RH). When to drink : 2009 to 2011.
Issue: May 31, 2009. Full-bodied, with baked fruit and honey character on a silky, smooth palate, packed with fruit and mineral flavors. There's a very long finish to this, with a lingering almond aftertaste. Drink now. 3,000 cases made. –JC.
Mar/Apr 08. By Ian D'Agata. (100% garganega). Golden straw-yellow. Captivating aromas of sexy new vanillin oak, pineapple, orange marmalade, mango and custard. Ripe and soft in the mouth, stuffed with canned pineapple, caramel, yellow peach and orange marmalade flavors. Supple and full, with the fruit here showing much more pronounced sweetness than that of the steely Calvarino bottling. This too benefits from beautiful definition, and the finish is long and suave. This is a ripe and sexy style of Soave that relies quite a bit on its vanillin-oaky veneer for charm.
After gentle, whole bunch pressing, there was a short period of maceration on the skins followed by fermentation in 500 litre oak casks. Pieropan feels Garganega is too delicate for fermentation in barrique. 60% of the wine then remained in 500 litre oak casks and 40% aged in 2000 litre ‘botti’ or barrels for one year. The wine then stayed for four months in bottle before release.
