Corte Adami, Vigna Della Corte Soave Superiore, 2020
Corte Adami, Vigna Della Corte Soave Superiore, 2020
- 75cl
- 13.5%
- White Still
- Garganega
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Optimal drinking window: Now - 2030
The Adami family describe this as "a Soave in evening dress", and they're not wrong. Vigna della Corte comes from a single 3.5-hectare site at 350 metres altitude, farmed by 40-year-old Garganega vines that have recently earned their own DOC status — a rare and well-deserved distinction in a region that's spent years clawing back its reputation.
Late harvesting, stainless steel fermentation, and six months on lees give the wine both richness and precision. This is what Soave looks like when it's treated seriously.
The 2020 is drinking well now and has been for a couple of years — the primary fruit has integrated and the lees-derived texture has filled out nicely. Between now and 2028 it should be at its most complete, with the mineral quality and secondary complexity in balance.
What the critics say:
"This wine opens with aromas of Fuji apples, tangerine, apricot and jasmine that flow into the honied and round palate. Notes of baked white peaches and toasted hazelnuts both sprinkled with sea salt permeate the palate finishing with a crisp and vibrant finish. Think lobster, roast fish and pork and you will have a great time."
"A clean and pleasant white with lemon-rind, ripe melon and dry-mineral character. Fairly light, simple and very quaffable. Drink now."
Tasting Notes
AppearanceBright golden yellow with a faint green rim, clear and luminous in the glass.
NoseDried white flowers and ripe pear upfront, with a stony, almost chalky mineral quality underneath that gets more interesting with air. Six years of age have added a gentle honeyed note without softening the freshness.
PalateRicher than the nose suggests, with a creamy mid-palate texture from the lees ageing giving way to something leaner and more saline on the back half. Orchard fruit, almond skin, and a quiet citrus grip keep everything in line.
FinishLong and dry with a persistent mineral and almond note that lingers well after the glass is down.
Overall impressionSoave with real authority — generous enough to drink with pleasure now, structured enough to have earned it.
Food Pairings
Around Soave and the Veneto, this style of wine is a natural partner for baccalà alla vicentina — salt cod braised slowly in milk with onions and anchovies, a dish with enough richness to match the wine's texture. Risotto all'isolana, made with pork and veal in the local style, works equally well. Freshwater fish from Lake Garda, simply grilled, is the kind of understated pairing the locals would reach for on a Tuesday. White truffle dishes from the broader Veneto tradition are a more celebratory option, and the wine holds its own without being overwhelmed.
Serve at 10 to 12°C — cold enough to stay fresh, warm enough to let the texture open up. No need to decant, but give it 15 minutes in the glass before you judge it; the mineral complexity takes a little time to show itself. A wider-bowled white wine glass rather than a narrow flute will let the aromas develop properly.
The Vigna della Corte vineyard sits at 350 metres above sea level on volcanic basalt soils overlaid with clay and limestone, which gives the wine its characteristic mineral tension and structure. The altitude brings significant diurnal temperature variation, preserving natural acidity even after the late harvest. The 40-year-old vines produce low yields with concentrated flavour, and the site's distinct character was formally recognised when it received its own DOC classification.
Soave Superiore DOCG is the stricter tier above basic Soave DOC, requiring lower yields, higher minimum alcohol, and extended ageing before release. The Classico zone, covering the original historic area around Soave and Monteforte d'Alpone, is where the best examples come from — volcanic soils here produce wines with a mineral quality entirely absent from the expanded flatland vineyards that diluted Soave's reputation in the 1970s and 80s. Single-vineyard designations like Vigna della Corte sit at the top of the quality pyramid, and the region's slow recovery is one of Italian wine's more encouraging stories.
The 2020 vintage in Veneto arrived with textbook timing after a growing season that played by the rules. Spring brought steady, manageable rainfall that set the vines up beautifully, followed by a warm but not scorching summer that allowed for gradual ripening. The harvest unfolded exactly when producers wanted it to, with cool nights preserving freshness while sunny days concentrated flavours without rushing the process.
What emerged was a vintage of surprising polish and immediate charm. The Soaves show crystalline mineral precision alongside ripe stone fruit, while Valpolicella delivers vibrant cherry fruit with structure that doesn't overshadow the joy. Amarone producers found their grapes in superb condition for the crucial drying process, promising wines with both power and finesse. These wines are drinking brilliantly now and should continue rewarding patience until 2030, making 2020 one of those rare vintages that pleases both the impatient and the cellar-builders.
FAQs
What does Vigna della Corte taste like?
Dried flowers, ripe pear, and orchard fruit on the nose, with a creamy texture from lees ageing and a long, dry, mineral finish. There's an almond note that's characteristic of serious Garganega. Generous and structured at the same time.
When should I drink the 2020?
It's drinking well right now and will continue to do so until around 2030.
What food works well with this wine?
Rich fish dishes are the classic match — baccalà, grilled sea bass, or anything with a cream or butter sauce. It also handles light meat dishes well, particularly veal or pork in a northern Italian style. Avoid anything heavily spiced; the wine's mineral precision deserves food that doesn't fight it.
Is Soave worth taking seriously?
The cheap, bland stuff that earned Soave its difficult reputation in the 1980s still exists. But wines like this one are a completely different proposition — single-vineyard Garganega from volcanic soils, with real structure and age-worthiness. The region's best producers have been making a strong case for years, and this is Exhibit A.
How is this different from regular Soave?
Soave Superiore DOCG requires lower yields and longer ageing before release than basic Soave DOC. Beyond the rules, this wine comes from a specific named vineyard at altitude with 40-year-old vines that now have their own DOC recognition — that's about as far from mass-market Soave as you can get.
How should I serve it?
At around 10 to 12°C in a wider-bowled white wine glass. No need to decant, but give it a little time in the glass — the mineral complexity opens up after 10 or 15 minutes.
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