Volcanic slopes and iron rich soils

Garganega and Carmenere exposed

Stefano Inama seems to have spent his entire life researching and innovating. His estate has become one of the top three Soave producers. Unlike most vineyards in the zone, Inama's vines - and the town of Soave itself - sit on the slopes of a volcano, which accounts for their genuine minerality. He has changed growing practices to become more organic as time progresses. Inama's Soaves are the gold standard. But to obtain the intensity, floral and mineral characters that these characterful whites have in abundance requires many hours of skilled labour among the vines each season.

Stefano loves older clarets, so he thought he would plant a few hectares of Cabernet Franc on the red, iron-rich soils of the slopes of the Colli Berici near Vicenza. The first thing he did was shout at the nurserymen for supplying tens of thousands of Carmenere plants instead of Cab Franc. The second thing he did was immerse himself in the culture of Carmenere and make himself one of the world's foremost producers of the grape. The intensity of the fruit in these wines and the suave tannins and supple textures reveal a master at work.

If you have never - or if you often have - tasted these wines come and join us today with Marta Carletto to explore the volcanic whites and ferrous reds of the Inama family. /CW

Offered subject to remaining unsold