Serego Alighieri Possessioni Bianco 2019
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Suckling
James
Product Details
Your Rating
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Winemaker Notes
Blend: 75% Garganega, 25% Sauvignon Blanc
Perfect as an aperitif. Recommended also with starters, light summer dishes, fish, pizza, cold cuts and poultry.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A fruity and steely white with sliced-lemon, pear and light honey aromas and flavors. Some smoke, too. It’s medium-bodied with pretty fruit and a crisp finish.
In 1549 when the Alighieri family found itself with only female heirs, they married into the powerful imperial Serego family, resulting in the Serego Alighieri name which the family has carried on ever since. In the forward-thinking spirit of the family, Marcantonio Serego was an enthusiastic proponent of agricultural reform, land reclamation, and of increasing the productiveness of his estates in the 16th century. Continuing the development of the estate in the 18th century, careful crop cultivation was initiated with the identification of specific sites for growing grape varieties. Later, in the 1920’s, Pieralvise Serego Alighieri founded the School of Agriculture in Gargagnago with the goal of replanting local native grape varieties, furthering their dedication to the land.
Most recently, in 1973, Tenuta Serego Alighieri joined the Masi Group, with whom they share a great love for the land. The Masi Technical Group, under the leadership of Raffaele Boscaini, substitutes the figure of the winemaker with that of a team of experts including oenologists, agronomists, marketing experts, chemists, and food product technicians. The group also carries out research and experimentation in collaboration with universities and other institutions, ultimately contributing to the innovation of wines throughout the Venetian regions. Today, the property where 21 of Dante’s descendants have lived generation after generation, is a landmark site for viticulture and the embodiment of the true spirit of Valpolicella.
With hundreds of white grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended white wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used in white wine blends, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a variety that creates a soft and full-bodied white wine blend, like Chardonnay, would do well combined with one that is more fragrant and naturally high in acidity. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
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.