Soave Classico "Monte Grande," Prà - 2013

Soave has a reputation for producing unpretentious, food friendly wines, best consumed while young. The Prà "Monte Grande", however, tips that expectation on its head. This is a highly unique and complex wine that will have you smiling in surprise at the first sip. Prà uses a unique technique where they partially cut the Garganega grape stems on the vine, allowing the clusters to naturally air-dry and concentrate for a month before harvest. They then ferment and age in large, neutral Allier oak casks, which results in a beautifully textured wine that balances opulent fruit with striking, razor-sharp precision. Aromas of ripe tangerine, white peach, jasmine and toasted almond make you think the wine might be sweet, but it's bone dry with ripe fruit and sherry-like notes. An elegant, age-worthy wine, unlike any white I've ever had.