The Best of Northern Italy

It is always a challenge to encapsulate the best of Italy’s northern regions in one article. Due to space limitations I will be brief in these introductory comments. This year the most exciting wines I tasted were those of Veneto. The 2004 Amarones have turned out splendidly. The wines show many of the same qualities that define the best wines from Piedmont and Tuscany in this vintage; namely well articulated aromas, clean, focused fruit and finessed tannins. Readers who prefer a more opulent style of Amarone will want to consider the 2003s, although quality is less consistent and many wines possesses noticeably less finesse, particularly in the tannins. I was also very pleased with the 2007 Soaves and found numerous sweet wines well worth purchasing. I can think of few better ways to begin a meal with a glass of Prosecco, and most of those wines are reviewed in Issus 178. Overall Veneto remains an under- appreciated region, especially in the US.