Pieropan Soave Classico La Rocca 2021

95 points James Suckling: "A different, fuller-weighted brood, boasting ample stone fruits, nutmeg and truffle. Savvy use of oak (tonneaux and larger format French) and extended lees ageing. A vineyard purchased in 1976, situated directly behind the town's castle. Lower altitude, with clay and limestone (rather than the more pervasive volcanics), finding effortless confluence with a winemaking approach that has long-defined this fuller-weighted, late-harvested, highly textural expression. While an outlier stylistically, there is often a fleck of botrytis, all tamarind and dried mango, that melds with the underlying tension to impart generosity and evince authority. Drinkable now, but best from 2026. (4/20/23)"

95 points Monica Larner (Wine Advocate): "The organic Pieropan 2021 Soave Classico La Rocca shows a golden hue with hints of shiny emerald and green. Made with 100% Garganega, it ages in tonneaux for 12 months. The wine is viscous in appearance, gliding within the inside of the glass with thick, slow swirls. The effect is beautiful and full-bodied for sure, with apricot, poached pear, crushed stone and very light saffron or cinnamon. This is just a terrific vintage from a world-class producer. Drink: 2023-2035. (Oct 2023)"

Producer notes: "On the hill of Mount Rocchetta, close to the Scaliger castle of Soave, is the La Rocca vineyard. La Rocca enjoys a particular microclimate, which makes it possible to obtain a wine with a unique and unreproducible bouquet and taste notes. Innovative, since its debut in 1978, it has marked a deep groove in the territory, becoming an undisputed symbol of quality and tradition."