Outstanding sweet wine

A few days ago, I tweeted that I was going to try Trabucchi d’Illasi’s Recioto di Soave (2006 vintage).  I have previously reviewed quite a lot of wines from this Venetian winery, including their 2006 Amarone della Valpolicella (3 bicchieri Gambero Rosso). Trabucchi keeps impressing me over and over again. In my opinion there is no other winery that produces so many outstanding wines. Enough of the praises.

The term “Recioto” derives from a Venetian dialect word “recia”, which refers to the superior bunches of grapes. Recioto is expensive to produce because only the very best grapes are used. After harvest the grapes get sun-dried on straw mats for approximately 40 days. During this process, the grapes lose around 80% of their weight. Cheap Recioto simply produced from grapes that were not sun-dried long enough which causes the wine to be less sweet and since Recioto is a sweet wine you want the wine to be sweet so do not buy cheap Recioto. Keep in mind that Recioto di Soave is a white sweet wine while Recioto della Valpolicella is a red one.

Trabucchi d’Illasi’s Recioto di Soave is named after the DOCG appellation of the same name. The wine is blended with traditional Soave grapes. Mostly Garganega. After fermentation, the wine ages in French oak barrels for several years.

Tasting notes ‘Recioto di Soave’

‘Recioto di Soave’ had an intense, brilliant amber color. 12.5% was the label listed ABV. On the nose there was a heavy aroma of wild flowers – especially chamomile and elderflower, lots of white chocolate and a few aromatic herbs. An incredibly elegant bouquet, which made me even more excited to take a first sip.

It was amazing! Sweet but not too much (Trabucchi’s Passito Sparavieri is sweeter for example). A very noble wine with notes of honey and caramelized white fruit (apricot, peach, etc.). ‘Recioto di Soave’ was well-structured and of good balance. The finish was long. Once again, elegant describes the palate best. The wine was outstanding. There is only one sweet wine which I consider better: Trabucchi’s Recioto della Valpolicella – that wine is simply unmatched.

The right glass

You might have noticed by looking at the picture that we served the wine big Bordeaux-glasses. This is essential because the wine needs lots of air in order to show its full beauty. The owner of Trabucchi, Giuseppe Trabucchi, explained that to me on two occasions – at a wine tasting dinner that I attended in Munich and when I was visiting the winery. We served a little bit of Recioto in a small dessert wine glass and there were really only less aromas on the nose so we poured the wine back from the tiny glass into a big glass.

Recommended food match

The wine does not go well with sweet desserts. No tiramisù, no crème brûlée and nothing else that is sweet. The wine itself is too sweet to be paired next to such a dish. So what to chose? If you really want to pair this wine with food then go with aged Parmigiano Reggiano (at least 20 months). It is the only thing I can recommend to eat with this wine. I ate a few “pieces” (usually this cheese is not thinly sliced) of Parmigiano Reggiano myself while enjoying this Recioto and it worked out very well. In English Parmigiano Reggiano is also known as Parmesan cheese. If you find the cheese to be too expensive you can try Grana Padano but when spending so much on a wine you should really go for Parmigiano Reggiano here.

Parting words

In the 2013 edition of the Gambero Rosso (very reputable Italian wine critic) ‘Recioto di Soave’ was awarded with 2 bicchieri. The wine is only bottled in 0,375 liters bottles which retail, in my favorite Enoteca in Munich, for 38€. The wine can be purchased a the winery’s online shop for 32€ + shipping. I hope you’ll get a chance to taste this fantastic wine, if you cannot then try at least Trabucchi’s Recioto della Valpolicella once in your life.

This wine is part of my top 10.

Have you tried this wine before? What is your favorite dessert wine? Looking forward to your comments!

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