Smoky wine with sea weed, angelica and a riper, more exotic core of lemon leaves and mirabelles. Smooth, silky texture, light body and integrated, refreshing acidity with a hint of sulphur smoke in the finish. Drink now.
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The walled city of Soave in the Veneto region is the source (and namesake) of one of the great classic Italian white wines. The town dates from Roman times, and so does the winemaking tradition. The Romans were big fans of minerally, floral wines like those of Soave. The Garganega grapes, that for many centuries have produced Soave wines, come mainly from vineyards in the hills that rise behind the town and march northwestward toward the eastern Valpolicella. This area is now known as Soave Classico and is still the source of the best wines of the denomination due to the hills’ volcanic soils.
Leaving Soave through the Porta Aquila—the north gate of the city’s 14th-century walls—a walk of a mile and a quarter (including a climb of about 500 feet) leads to the top of Mount Foscarino, a dormant volcano now covered with grapevines. In the 1960s, Giuseppe Inama began buying up small vineyard plots on this peak in the heart of the Soave Classico zone, and as a result, the Inama winery today owns most of the vineyards on Mount Foscarino. Giuseppe Inama saw the great potential of these old, traditional vineyards at a time when others were more intent on producing larger quantities in the plains for inexpensive exports. His son Stefano, who took over the winemaking duties in 1992, has continued to work tirelessly to realize the potential of these vineyards, working with some of the very best vineyard management consultants in the world to get Inama’s vineyards into the best possible shape.
Near the top of the hill is a large wooden platform with a 270-degree panoramic view to the south and east. To the right at a distance, it is easy to spot the crenellated walls and towers of Soave Castle as it keeps watch over the town. In the foreground are Inama’s tidy vigneti di Foscarino (Foscarino vineyards). And to the left, over the vineyards and across a broad valley, are a set of hills that are the home of Inama’s other project. These hills—the Colli Berici—are composed of iron-rich terra rossa, a soil type that is prized worldwide as being ideal for growing red winegrapes, and indeed this is where Inama gets its red wines.
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LOCATIONWINERY: San Bonifacio, Veneto VINEYARD: Soave (Verona province) and Colli Berici (Vicenza province), Veneto VIEW IN GOOGLE MAPS REGION DETAILS |
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94
DECEMBER 2025
Inama “Foscarino” Soave DOC Classico 2023
![]() Smoky wine with sea weed, angelica and a riper, more exotic core of lemon leaves and mirabelles. Smooth, silky texture, light body and integrated, refreshing acidity with a hint of sulphur smoke in the finish. Drink now. 95
APRIL 2024
Inama “Foscarino” Soave DOC Classico 2022
![]() This is very intense with electric acidity. Dried apples, lemons and minerals with a salty undertone. Full-bodied with phenolic tension and an extremely long finish. Hints of oyster. Needs two or three years to show its greatness, but fantastic already. 94
AUGUST 2025
Inama "I Palchi" Foscarino Soave Classico DOC 2022
![]() This is the top-end Garganega from the talented Inama family. It included the words "Grande Cuvée" in its name until the previous vintage made. The 2022 Soave Classico Foscarino I Palchi is a beautiful wine with a tight vein of crispness and lemony tartness that follows the wine from start to finish, giving it firmness and lasting staying power. There is ample textural fiber at the back, more than enough to make this wine feel important and multidimensional. This 17-hectare vineyard sits in basalt lava soils. The wine is partially fermented in oak (with 30% neutral and new barrique and 50% botte grande) and 20% in stainless steel. 92
JANUARY 2026
Inama “Carmenère Più” Veneto Rosso IGT 2023
![]() The 2023 Veneto Rosso Carmenere Più mixes crushed rocks, savory herbs, black currant and spice. It is cool-toned and fresh with juicy acidity and crisp wildberry fruits that take on a peppery edginess toward the close. This finishes gently tannic with an air of violet inner florals as a chewy blackberry concentration fades. A total pleasure to taste. 96
DECEMBER 2025
Inama "I Palchi" Foscarino Soave Classico DOC 2022
![]() A complex, mineral wine with apricots and lemon peel, angelica and mangoes. Full-bodied and richly flavored with mango and citrus flavors, vibrant and mineral acidity and a smooth finish. Precise and refreshing. Fermented and aged in large oak barrels. Drink or hold. 94
OCTOBER 2023
Inama "Carbonare" Soave DOC Classico 2021
![]() Grown via the historic pergola method this unique vineyard produces a Soave with aromas of fleshy yellow peach, jasmine, white tea and crushed stones. The palate is structured and built to age with flavors of tart green apple, citrus and a mineral edge on the finish. Drink now-2035. 92
JANUARY 2025
Inama “Bradisismo” Colli Berici Cabernet DOC 2020
![]() Their plump 2020 Bradisismo, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (70%) and Carmenère, delivers delectable spiciness, presumably from the Carmenère, that offsets the ripe black fruit qualities of Cabernet. Fine tannins support the plush texture without interfering. Not overwrought, this bright and bold red would be perfect with a steak this winter. 94
SEPTEMBER 2025
Inama “Foscarino” Soave DOC Classico 2023
![]() The 2023 Soave Classico Foscarino is youthfully coy, with a delicate blend of lime zest, sweet sage, crushed green apples and a subtle whiff of spice. It possesses a core of zesty acidity and depths of salty minerals, as well as a silken wave of nectarine and citrus that soothes the senses. The 2023 reverberates with tension, crisp and long, leaving a crunchy sensation and the palate completely reset for another salty sip. |
