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Pieropan Masterclass
Prince Sydney, 40 Hansard Street
Tasted November 2, 2023 by chatters with 41 views
Introduction
An opportunity to have a masterclass walkthrough with Andrea Pieropan
Flight 1 - Youth (3 notes)
Nice wines here
White
2022 Pieropan Soave Classico
Lemon lolly water, a tiny cheesy lees and minerality, floral top notes show a little blossom, bees wax, a pinch of sulphur and a very slight herbaceous underpin complete the nose. Juicy, tangy, textured rasp across the mid palate, lemon leads the citrus, touch of salinity on the finish. Yum.
White
2021 Pieropan Soave Classico Calvarino
Medium minus intensity aromas prove savoury, a little sulphur prickle, saline, citrus, closed but serious, focussed, concentrated. Medium plus intensity acidity is quite linear, citric, tangy, textured burr, salinity more prominent, a little non-intrusive alcohol warmth on the finish. Despite the acidity or, perhaps, because of the texture this has quite a mouth filling quality. Interesting.
White
2021 Pieropan Soave Classico La Rocca
Ooh, perhaps a little botrytis(?) Generous apricot, lemon marmalade, quite a lot of sulphur here as well, perhaps a little buttery note, rich, a little leesy as well. The density and richness hides the medium plus intensity acidity, touches of apricot but, like the Calvarino, that mouth filling quality which is reinforced by aa touch of glycerol fatness, softly textured. Finishes a little bitter. Nice.
Flight 2 - Age (3 notes)
The C5 was nice but the other two wines didn't really work for me.
White
N.V. Pieropan Recioto di Soave Classico C5 Calvarino Soave Calvarino
A little stone fruit, honey, leesy notes lend a buttery richness, slight sulphur, floral notes, citrus underpin shows a little lemon and grapefruit, lovely nose. Softly engaging with juicy acidity, a sense of freshness, citrus over stone fruit, soft burr tugs at the mid palate and helps carry the fruit flavours very long, balanced, persistent, good.
White
2011 Pieropan Soave Classico Calvarino
Honey, a little bruised apple, nutty almond notes, savoury salinity. Juicy, slightly sharp, savoury and saline, lemon, bruised apple, tangy, wet stone grip on the mid palate dries things out but does not detract from the flavours, very long with a touch of bitterness on the finish. Hmm
White
2012 Pieropan Soave Classico La Rocca
Medium minus intensity aromas of honey, sulphur, slight bruised apple, citrus, dried apricot, plenty of savoury spice, viscose and glycerol fatness accompanies the medium plus intensity acidity and intrusive alcohol warmth chased by plenty of drying grip that flavours don't persist past which leaves aa sense of dried out disappointment. A little tired for me.
Flight 3 - Red and sweets (3 notes)
I enjoyed the Amarone and the Recioto in this bracket
Red
2020 Pieropan Valpolicella Superiore Ruberpan
Smoky! Whole bunch? Slightly reductive, cherry, graphite, savoury spice, a little alcohol warmth prickles, green underpin offers amaro, aniseed. Medium plus intensity acidity, slightly sour cherry, herbaceous, amaro bitterness, drying textured grip, alcohol warmth, that cherry carries on the finish.
Red
2017 Pieropan Amarone della Valpolicella Amarone Vigna Garzon
Savoury, biscuit, slight baked red cherry, plenty of sweet spice, alcohol prickle, a little savoury underpin and a touch of plain chocolate. Medium plus intensity acidity, juicy, lashings of alcohol warmth is offset by semi-dried cherry and a touch of dried cranberry, plentiful woody tannins offer aa platter for these fruits to sit upon, again a little 85% plain chocolate and dusting of cocoa here as well. Retains freshness, powerful and impressive.
White - Sweet/Dessert
2018 Pieropan Recioto di Soave Le Colombare
After the Amarone this initially comes across as medium minus intensity from an aroma perspective, showing honey, a little apricot, pineapple, blossom, a touch of rose petal and fresh herbs. Juicy, medium plus intensity acidity, a tiny touch of bitterness and salinity add complexity and interest to the flavours implied by the nose as well as assisting with the balance of residual sugar and acidity. Medium plus length finish and just the right side of cloying, rather nice.
Closing
Lots of fun, I think I like my Pieropan on the young side...