Zeni Vignealte Lugana 2021
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Wilfred
Wong
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Enticingly delicate scents of peach blossom, white stone fruit and wild herb mingle with whiffs of almond on this vibrant white. The bright savory palate shows Granny Smith apple, grapefruit, pineapple, and a saline mineral note alongside crisp acidity. A wonderful refreshing and elegant wine from vines grown in Lugana, located on the southern shores of Lake Garda. The grapes are hand-harvested when they have reached optimum ripeness.
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2021 Zeni Vignealte is delicious, enticing, and nicely present on the palate. TASTING NOTES: This wine exhibits aromas and flavors of dried leaves, ripe apples, earthy notes, and savory spices. Enjoy it with steamed clams in a light garlic broth. (Tasted: December 26, 2022, San Francisco, CA)
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2022-
Wine
Enthusiast
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Wilfred
Wong
Sitting in the hills of Bardolino, the Zeni family has spent the last 150 years dedicating themselves to producing some of the finest wines in Verona. With land holdings of 60 hectares of vines, the family operates two wineries, one located in Bardolino and the other in Valpolicella. Zeni’s world renowned wine museum also drives attention to the company, receiving over 100,000 visitors a year.
Since 1870 the Zeni Family have been dedicated to growing and producing classic Veronese wines. Fausto, Elena and Federica run the business following in their father Gaetano ‘Nino’ Zeni's footsteps. Ideally situated in the heart of the region they have the pick of the bunch from the long-term contract growers they deal with to help supplement their own production. They now manage 25 hectares of vineyards. Only the best grapes can result in wines with such a distinctive character that are true expressions of a unique terroir.
Since 1991 the museum, conceived and realized by the owner Gaetano Zeni, was meant to offer evidence of the ancient winemaking culture the Zeni family is committed to for generations. The museum also aims to take visitors on a fascinating journey around the world of wine while learning about its history. The museum is divided into thematic areas, each dedicated to a different stage of the long and complex wine production process, from the growing of the vine to the harvest, from the grape processing to the bottling phase.
Zeni has recently built a new wine cellar. This cellar is a structure that combines old tradition functionality with the modern. An impressive vaulted roof anchored on strong columns and a terra cotta floor represents this cellar. In this structure, you will find the oak barrels, barriques, and tonneaus. Their wines age in the perfect condition of humidity and temperature at the cellar.
Compared to other white wine-producing varieties, Trebbiano claims some of the most vineyard acreage on a global scale. There are six distinct varieties with Trebbiano as part of their name in Italy alone. Trebbiano Toscano, one of the most popular, is deliciously light and crisp. Trebbiano d’Abruzzo actually has some aging potential when handled carefully. Somm Secret—Known as Ugni Blanc in France, Trebbiano is responsible for the whites in Southwest, France called Gascogne Blanc.
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.