Corte Adami, Recioto di Soave, 2018 - Half-bottle
Corte Adami, Recioto di Soave, 2018 - Half-bottle
- 37.5cl
- 12.5%
- Dessert
- Garganega
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Optimal drinking window: Now - 2035
Recioto di Soave is the original Soave — the sweet wine that predates the dry version by centuries, made by laying harvested Garganega bunches out to dry (the appassimento method) before a slow, arrested fermentation. Corte Adami's version is a lovely example of the style: luscious but never heavy, with amber-gold colour and the kind of concentrated stone fruit and honey character that comes from grapes given proper time to shrivel and concentrate. The acidity that makes Garganega such a pleasure in its dry form does sterling work here, holding everything in balance and making each sip feel refreshing rather than cloying.
This is a half-bottle, which is exactly the right format for a wine this intense; generous for two but not overwhelming. Drink it with something salty, crumbly, and Italian.
At eight years old, the 2018 is in a lovely spot right now — the primary apricot and orange blossom fruit is still vivid, and the acidity is keeping everything bright. Over the next three to four years, expect the fruit to shift toward more dried and oxidative characters: dried fig, candied peel, and perhaps a little toffee and toasted almond. The wine will plateau somewhere around 2030-2032, at which point the balance between richness and freshness will be at its most complex.
Tasting Notes
AppearanceDeep amber-gold with a warm, burnished edge.
NoseCandied apricot and dried mango lead, followed by orange blossom honey and a thread of saffron. There's a stony, almost volcanic mineral quality running beneath the fruit that keeps it from feeling heavy.
PalateRich and concentrated but never syrupy — the acidity is doing serious work here, lifting the sweetness and giving the wine real energy. Dried fig, marmalade, and a whisper of almond skin emerge on the mid-palate.
FinishLong, honeyed, and clean, with a mineral dryness that lingers pleasingly.
Overall impressionA textbook argument for Garganega's greatness in sweet form — precise, generous, and properly alive.
Food Pairings
In Verona and the surrounding Veneto, Recioto di Soave has a long tradition alongside the local pastry, nadalin — a buttery, almond-scented cake that is something of a precursor to pandoro. It is equally at home with aged Asiago or Monte Veronese cheese, where the salt and crystalline texture of the cheese cut through the wine's sweetness magnificently. Pan de oro, cantucci, and other dry biscuits made for dunking are a natural match. More ambitiously, a wedge of foie gras terrine or a simple plate of gorgonzola with walnuts will do the wine serious justice.
We think this wine would go well with
Serve lightly chilled at around 10-12°C — cold enough to feel refreshing, warm enough to let the aromatic complexity breathe. No need to decant; simply open and pour into a mid-sized white wine glass or a tulip-shaped dessert wine glass that concentrates the floral aromatics. Given the half-bottle format, it will open up beautifully within minutes of pouring.
The vineyards sit on the dark volcanic basalt soils of the Soave Classico zone around Brognoligo, a geology that gives Garganega its distinctive mineral cut and keeps natural acidity high even in ripe years. Altitude in the Classico hills runs to around 200-300 metres, with cool nights slowing ripening and preserving freshness through the growing season. For Recioto, the harvest is followed by appassimento — drying the grapes on straw mats or slatted racks for several months — during which the volcanic character concentrates alongside the sugar, lending the finished wine a stony backbone beneath the sweetness.
Recioto di Soave DOCG sits within the broader Soave zone in the eastern Veneto, and holds its own DOCG status separate from the dry whites. It must be made from at least 70% Garganega, with the balance typically made up by Trebbiano di Soave or other permitted varieties, and the grapes must undergo appassimento before pressing. The result is a sweet wine of genuine complexity and acidity — closer in spirit to great Sauternes or German Auslese than to the heavier passito wines of southern Italy. It is, rather wonderfully, one of Italy's most underappreciated sweet wines.
The 2018 vintage in Veneto arrived after a growing season that kept producers on their toes. Spring brought welcome rainfall after the drought stress of 2017, though summer heat tested the vines once again. The saving grace was September's cooler nights, which allowed the grapes to retain their freshness while reaching full ripeness. Harvest timing proved crucial, with those who picked at the right moment capturing both concentration and balance.
What emerged was a vintage of surprising consistency across the region's varied terroirs. The Soave producers we work with speak fondly of 2018's Garganega, which shows real mineral precision alongside ripe stone fruit character. Valpolicella's Corvina and friends delivered wines with lovely immediacy, though the best Amarone from this year will reward patience. Most 2018 Veneto wines are drinking beautifully now, offering approachable pleasure without sacrificing the region's characteristic freshness, and the better bottles should cellar happily until 2028.
FAQs
What does Recioto di Soave taste like?
Think concentrated dried apricot, orange blossom honey, and saffron, but with a lively acidity that stops it feeling heavy or cloying. Garganega's natural freshness is the key — this is a sweet wine with genuine energy.
How sweet is this wine?
It is genuinely sweet, but the residual sugar is balanced by high natural acidity, so it feels more like a great German Auslese or a lighter Sauternes than a sticky southern Italian passito. Intense rather than heavy.
When should I drink this?
It is drinking well now and will continue to do so until around 2032. The fruit is expressive and generous at this stage, so there is no strong reason to wait — open it with confidence.
What food should I pair it with?
Aged Italian cheeses such as Asiago or gorgonzola with walnuts are the classic local pairing. Almond-based pastries, cantucci, or a simple foie gras terrine all work extremely well. The wine can also hold its own alongside blue cheese or a not-too-sweet dessert.
How should I serve it?
Serve at around 10-12°C in a tulip-shaped dessert wine glass. No decanting needed — simply pour and enjoy. The half-bottle is a generous measure for two people sharing at the end of a meal.
Is Recioto di Soave worth cellaring?
Yes, within reason. The wine will develop greater complexity between now and 2032, shifting toward dried fruit, candied peel, and toasted almond characters. Beyond 2035, the freshness that makes it distinctive may begin to fade, so there is no case for very long ageing.
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