The 2009 Soave Vigneto La Broia emerges from the glass with hints of tangerine, honey, mint and white flowers. The flavors are quite extroverted, in keeping with the hot weather of the year, yet the wine finds its minerality and poise on the mid-palate and finish. This is a pretty, focused Soave from Roccolo Grassi. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2014.
Proprietor Marco Sartori embodies all of the best qualities of Valpolicella's top artisan growers. A meticulous focus on quality means that the top wines - the Amarone and Reciotos - are only produced in the very best vintages. Sartori favors a relatively laid-back style for his Amarone. The grapes are pressed on the first day allowed by regulations, with a goal of keeping residual sugar in the 5.5-8.0-grams per liter range. Over the last few vintages Sartori has begun giving his wines 24-26 months in oak, 6 months less than before, and more time in bottle, again with the goal of maintaining as much freshness as possible. All of the new releases are highly recommended, but the 2008 Valpolicella is the under-the-radar gem in this lineup.
Importers: Chambers & Chambers, San Francisco, CA; tel. (415) 642-5500; Artisan Wine, Norwalk, CT; tel. (203) 866-4552