Giovanni Menti Recioto di Gambellara Albina Classico 2010
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Giovanni Menti was founded at the end of the 19th century in Gambellara by Stefano’s great-grandfather who made wine for his own personal consumption in this small town nestled between Vicenza and Verona in the Veneto. Generation upon generation, Menti concentrated its cultivation in the Garganega varietal which is renowned for its versatility. Stefano joined the company following his father in 2001. He introduced organic farming in 2004 and by 2011 the company was certified biodynamic, all based on Stefano’s steadfast desire to take better care of the land and improve quality. Though the majority of the winery’s 7.5 hectares remain planted to Gargagena, Stefano has also added Durella in his tenure, another native varietal of the Lessini mountains.
There are hundreds of white grape varieties grown throughout the world. Some are indigenous specialties capable of producing excellent single varietal wines. Each has its own distinct viticultural characteristics, as well as aroma and flavor profiles.
Producing every style of wine and with great success, the Veneto is one of the most multi-faceted wine regions of Italy.
Veneto's appellation called Valpolicella (meaning “valley of cellars” in Italian) is a series of north to south valleys and is the source of the region’s best red wine with the same name. Valpolicella—the wine—is juicy, spicy, tart and packed full of red cherry flavors. Corvina makes up the backbone of the blend with Rondinella, Molinara, Croatina and others playing supporting roles. Amarone, a dry red, and Recioto, a sweet wine, follow the same blending patterns but are made from grapes left to dry for a few months before pressing. The drying process results in intense, full-bodied, heady and often, quite cerebral wines.
Soave, based on the indigenous Garganega grape, is the famous white here—made ultra popular in the 1970s at a time when quantity was more important than quality. Today one can find great values on whites from Soave, making it a perfect choice as an everyday sipper! But the more recent local, increased focus on low yields and high quality winemaking in the original Soave zone, now called Soave Classico, gives the real gems of the area. A fine Soave Classico will exhibit a round palate full of flavors such as ripe pear, yellow peach, melon or orange zest and have smoky and floral aromas and a sapid, fresh, mineral-driven finish.
Much of Italy’s Pinot grigio hails from the Veneto, where the crisp and refreshing style is easy to maintain; the ultra-popular sparkling wine, Prosecco, comes from here as well.