Le Battistelle Soave Classico 2024

Le Battistelle is a small family estate run by Gelmino and Cristina Dal Bosco at Brognoligo, in the historic Classico heart of Soave in the Veneto. The wine is made from Garganega, the region's traditional white grape, grown on dark volcanic soils that give Soave Classico its characteristic mineral, faintly saline signature. These basalt-rich soils drain well and reflect the area's volcanic past, and the hillside vineyards of the Classico zone are cooler and better exposed than the plains below, so the grapes ripen evenly while holding acidity. The wine is fermented in stainless steel and then rested on its lees for around four months, which preserves the fresh fruit while lending a rounder texture and a little savoury weight. It is pale straw in colour, with a nose of almond, white peach and lemon over white flowers and green apple. The palate is medium in body and dry, the orchard fruit set against a clean mineral line and the light bitter-almond twist typical of the grape, closing fresh and saline. Serve at 10 to 11 degrees. It suits grilled white fish, shellfish, mushroom risotto and lighter poultry dishes.